A Common World
by Crying Ink
Summary: Three stinking rich heirs making their way in the music industry are suddenly faced with an ultimatum: live as commoners for six months or forfeit their band. Can Jan Di, Ga Eul, and Jae Kyung survive the perils of the real world, or even worse, high school? (Jan DixJoon Pyo, small Ga EulxYi Jung. Au. )
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note at end**

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**_"The three members of Loveli will be spending the next six months living as commoners." _**

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"Come on girls! You're almost finished!" The peppy camera girl cheeped, a toothy smile plastered on her face as she directed the various camera men. Jan Di walked off the set and held her arms out as a stagehand blotted her face and neck with a towel.

"I can't believe it's actually Lotus!" Jan Di heard a high pitched squeal from a few feet away. Opening her eyes, she spotted it. _More fans. _A guard was escorting a group of ten through the set. Lotus was her stage name, and while she loved hearing it called on stage and at award ceremonies, her hour of sleep last night made the telltale calls of fans shred through her brain. She tried to ignore them. Someone walked up behind her. Ga Eul was just as exhausted, and another stagehand was smearing extra under-eye makeup on her face to conceal her fatigue. The music video was almost finished filming. Just a few more run throughs...

"What do we have after this," Ga Eul asked. She winced when her voice cracked, beckoning for someone to bring her water.

"Meet and greet. Then Jae Kyung volunteered us to teach a dance class at an orphanage," Jan Di said, her lip twisting into a grimace. How long had it been since they'd had a break?

"Miss Lotus-" Jan Di turned around and tried to walk away, doing her best to ignore the irritated feelings that were erupting. "Um, Lotus-"

"Jan Di, it's-" Ga Eul warned her, but Jan Di didn't care. All the stress of the day had finally caught up to her. She spun around, stared at the girl- barely thirteen at most- who shrunk under the pop star's gaze.

"Who let you in here?" She said. "Who told you you could be back here? Ga Eul, what do I pay all the guards for if they can't keep a couple of worthless pests out of here?"

"Jan Di!" Ga Eul whispered, taken aback. Jan Di felt a headache appearing at her temples. She didn't have time for this. She took a step towards the girl, who retreated.

"Are you here to write a song for me? Are you here to do my makeup? Huh?" Jan Di was quivering. How could her managers expect her to put up with this work load and socialize with fans during hours as well? It was madness. "Did you come here to give me a contract? No? Then get out!" The little girl burst into tears and turned behind her. Jan Di noticed at that moment that she was holding the hand of a little boy, maybe six years old. Jan Di froze. _Crap. _What had she done? The two ran out of the room, a security guard chasing after them. Jan Di shook. "Well, they shouldn't have been here," she mumbled. She felt like ripping her hair out. Exhaustion was clouding her mind.

When they returned to the shoot, Jae Kyung took her position as lead dancer.

"Ready?" She chirped, and then an eyebrow shot up as she spotted her comrade's expression. "Jan Di? Are you alright?"

"I'm-" she was about to say 'Fine!' but the director called for action just at that moment. The smile Jan Di automatically conjured only scraped at her nerves further. She could barely think straight, trying to keep up with the music as her pulse raced. And then, disaster struck.

"Whoa!" Jae Kyung yelped as Jan Di tripped over her own feet and fell right onto Ga Eul.

"Cut! What's going on?" The peppy camera girl and a few stagehands ran forward to see what was wrong, while the director shouted abuse at everyone listening.

"Get away from me. Stop touching me," Jan Di groaned as her vision swam in front of her eyes.

"Jan Di? You're bleeding," Ga Eul said. Jan Di was lying on her back on the floor now, the other two singers looking over her. Jan Di touched a hand to her face, and felt blood at her nose. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to focus on something solid, something real.

"Get away from me!" Jan Di raised her voice as high as she could while in this state. She rolled onto her side and pushed herself up. She glared at the crew around her, and her eyes fell towards the director. "Who do you think you are working us like this," she snapped.

"I think you need a break, eh?" Jae Kyung said soothingly, resting a hand on Jan Di's shoulders.

"We _all_ need a break. Who signed us up for this?" Jan Di spat, looking around for her manager.

"It's alright," Ga Eul said. "It's just work."

"Do you know who I am," Jan Di said. She was huffing with exertion, trying to keep herself focused. "_Geum _Jan Di! And I'm bleeding!" Her arms shook. "Ga Eul, help me up," Jan Di said. Her two friends lifted her up, and the trio walked out of the room to their trailer.

Jan Di fell asleep at once, after stuffing her nose with tissues to stop the blood. Asleep, she couldn't see her friends' worried looks.

A few hours passed. Jae Kyung and Ga Eul left for their next item on the schedule. Ga Eul just couldn't bear to miss volunteer work. Alone, Jan Di slept until the two came back. The sound of the door closing behind them startled her out of her sleep.

"How ya feeling?" Jae Kyung said, sinking onto the couch next to the younger girl, patting her on the head.

"Much better," Jan Di said, and it was partially true. She still felt tired without relief, but at least her mind and senses had returned to stability.

"We've got to get back to the hotel," Ga Eul said, only just coming through the door. Jan Di sat up.

"What time is it?"

"Nine."

"Don't we still have to-" Jae Kyung began, but Ga Eul shook her head slowly.

"It's been called off. And no-" she cut Jan Di off before she could begin. "I don't know why."

Nine o'clock was the earliest they had returned to their suite in months. Working hard to earn their fame, the three girls had been whisked from place to place without time to think. Jan Di had a very bad feeling about this, but the immediate relief of finally arriving at what was temporarily called 'home' eased any wariness.

"Girls." A deep voice greeted them from inside the main room. Jan Di froze, and then held a long sigh in before walking further into the hotel room. This would not be good news indeed.

Inside, Jan Di's father was waiting for her. Jeup Sung-soo was business man through and through, and unless there was a very good reason, his valuable time would not be wasted visiting his daughter. Well, adopted daughter. That was the reason Geum Jan Di and Jeup Sung-soo didn't share a last name.

"Hello father," Jan Di said formally, approaching him to see what he required.

"Sit," he said, avoiding pleasantries. His face was disgruntled to say the least. The three girls took their seats opposite from where the man reclined near the faux fireplace.

"It's good to see you," Jae Kyung said pleasantly, but he only nodded in return.

"I received a very disturbing call this afternoon," he began after a moment of awkward silence. Jan Di felt her stomach shrink in dread. "Not just one, but two. The first was from the CEO of ExcelSoft, a company which we have been negotiating a contract that's been in the making for months. He told me that my daughter offended him by reducing his children to tears, calling them worthless pests." He paused, as though letting the information sink in. "The second call was from Director Heo, saying that Loveli had quit halfway through the job after its lead singer Lotus had a fit and insulted his entire crew."

"Father, I-"

"The contract that I have been chasing for months almost was terminated today because of you, Jan Di. What do you have to say for yourself?" Jan Di looked her father in the eye, but couldn't seem to come up with a viable excuse. The old her would never have yelled at anyone that didn't deserve it, especially kids.

"I was just tired..." She said, guilty, the extent of her exhaustion not seeming like a viable excuse.

"I know. You all are. That's why, in order to make amends, I've negotiated a punishment that will apologize for your actions and teach you a lesson." Jan Di's breath froze as she waited for her sentence. "The three members of Loveli will be spending the next six months living as commoners."

"Commoners?" Jan Di said, shocked.

"With all due respect," Ga Eul interrupted. "Jae Kyung and I shouldn't be punished for Jan Di's actions." Jan Di's eyes sparked as she turned them on her friend. Ga Eul shrugged. _It's the truth, _she seemed to say. Feeling betrayed, Jan Di crossed her arms.

"You both were there. You could have stopped her. You two girls deserve a change of pace as well. I've already spoken with both of your families. Your continued involvement in this group depends on your compliance with the punishment."

"I-" Jan Di stuttered, rubbing her palms on her forehead. _A commoner? _Like, eat ramen three times a day commoner?

"And you'll all be attending high school for commoners."

"_What!" _The three girls gasped. Sung-soo rose to his feet, walked to the hall and took his hat off the coat stand. The girls automatically stood to follow him to the door.

"More details will be sent soon. I'll make sure someone will take care of you. As soon as you finish this shoot, you're leaving for your new homes. Perhaps this will teach you that you're actually _not_ better than people of lower stature." Before Sung-soo closed the door, Jan Di could swear she saw a smirk on his face.

"_Jan Di_," Jae Kyung whined, flopping onto the couch, throwing her arms over her head.

"I know, I know," Jan Di said, her voice full of regret. She ran her hands through her hair.

"Six months," Ga Eul said, dazed.

"I _know_," Jan Di groaned, collapsing into the chair where her father had just vacated.

"I'm not _cut out _to live like a commoner," Jae Kyung insisted. "I can't even _imagine _washing my own clothes..."

"Commoner food," Jan Di said sullenly. She already felt like she missed her gourmet meals. "Commoner activities."

"Imagine us taking a dance class at a normal gym," Ga Eul said. She sat down at the small table next to the kitchenette. Suddenly Jan Di realized that the kitchenette would suffice for their source of food in their hovel home. She could already imagine... Chipped dishes...moldy lettuce leaves...

She thought about what she had done to deserve this. Yelling at all those people... Her hand ghosted over where her nose had started bleeding. Maybe she did need a break. But how was _this _supposed to reduce her stress?

"We're going to be high schoolers again," Ga Eul said. Although mostly the girl sounded shocked, Jan Di detected a hint of excitement. She smiled. Ga Eul had always liked being in school.

"Ah, it's been so long since I've done homework," Jae Kyung said.

"Maybe it's time to get some brains in that empty head of yours," Jan Di teased.

"I'm a grade ahead of you two, have you forgotten?" Jae Kyung said, smirking at the other two. Oh... Jan Di had forgotten. It had been a year since they'd attended a formal institution, two years since they had started their music business. "At least the uniforms will look cute on me."

"Everything looks good on you, sis," Ga Eul said.

"I can't think about this anymore," Jan Di said, getting up. "I'm going to bed_._"

"Same," Ga Eul said, following her friend into the hallway.

"I'll just sit here, regretting ever befriending Jan Di!" Jae Kyung called after them.

Lying in her silk nightgown, Jan Di stared at the ceiling as her eyes drooped. "_Perhaps this will teach you that you're not better than a commoner._" Well, her father's words were true. She turned to her side, closing her eyes, pushing away thoughts of how lucky she was that a certain commoner's infant was picked up from an orphanage by Jeup Sung-soo.

Twenty four hours later, a black SUV pulled up in front of an apartment complex. Out of the back, three small suitcases were unloaded. The girls had only been allowed to bring the bare minimum. The driver handed Jan Di the handle to her luggage. In her designer coat and boots, she looked out of place in the crowd of average people going about their business. Ga Eul and Jae Kyung stepped out of the car behind them.

"A maid will be here later tonight to check on your progress. Her name is Sa." The driver bowed before he returned to his seat before driving off, not glancing back to make sure they made it into the proper door. Ga Eul gulped her nerves away, and it was peculiar for Jae Kyung to be this silent. Jan Di took the first step forward.

"Well, let's get this over with," she said, determination and her signature fire igniting what seemed to be a very dismal road ahead. It was going to be a long six months.

Sitting up in her bed, Jan Di rubbed the stiffness out of her neck. She lifted her arms and turned, feeling her back crack. This bed was never meant to serve Geum Jan Di, was what her body was telling her. Yawning, she glanced at the obnoxious digital clock. Still only six in the morning. Plenty of time for her day of doing nothing.

The moment she took her first step away from her bed, she yelped in pain as her toe collided with the bedside dresser. Cursing under her breath, she flopped back onto the bed, and flopped about a bit in aggravation. She embarked on her second attempt after giving her toe a minute to recuperate.

By average standards, her apartment was nice. Perhaps a little bit plain, but everything inside was new. The sparse furniture hadn't been neglected, the wall paper was recently redone. Still, Jan Di couldn't see how any of it was tolerable.

Ga Eul and Jae Kyung had the two neighboring apartments. Last night, Ga Eul teased that Jan Di had been put in the corner because it had the best view. Looking out onto the dirty streets, Jan Di couldn't help feeling it was so that traffic from two roads woke her up, instead of just one.

"Jan Di! You awake?" Jan Di jumped as the sound of Jae Kyung's knock echoed through the thin walls. She went to open the door. Ga Eul was yawning, slouched against the hallway wall behind the taller girl. Jae Kyung pushed past her, and looked around the room. "You didn't make breakfast yet?"

"Give me a break, I just woke up," Jan Di said, glum. She walked into the kitchen (if it could even be called that) and shuffled through the cupboards. The maid that had come yesterday and stocked the cabinets full, but it was commoner's food none the less. Jan Di's hand settled on some oatmeal, pulling it out and beginning to prepare it.

"Did you get your phone yet?" Ga Eul asked, leaning against the counter.

"Phone?" Jan Di perked up. She had never had a cellphone before- none of them had. Her father didn't want her calling people without his permission.

"Yeah," Ga Eul said, taking hers out of her pocket. Jan Di's eyes went wide at the bright pink device. "The woman left it in my living room." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Jan Di pushed past the two girls and ran to the only other room in the house. Sure enough, a black package was awaiting her. The other two girls followed her, finding her grinning from ear to ear as she pulled out the striped red and yellow phone.

"What's your numbers?" She said, turning it on at once.

"Do you even know how to use one of those?" Jae Kyung said, raising an eyebrow, and Jan Di rolled her eyes.

"I'm not stupid."

"Jan Di, let's go out."

"Eh?" Jan Di said, looking up from her new toy. "Where?"

"Anywhere," Jae Kyung said.

"No one's following us anymore," Ga Eul said, smiling at the possibilities. Jan Di felt a little bit of nervousness as she realized what it meant to be independent.

"Really though, where?"

"Just get dressed," Jae Kyung said, pushing Jan Di towards the bedroom. "I've got an idea."

"Are you kidding me?" Jae Kyung said, staring at the dish. "You expect me to eat _what_ now?"

"It's actually not bad," Jan Di said, licking her lips at the flavor.

"You just have to chew it, it actually tastes pretty good," Ga Eul said. Somehow the three high class pop stars ended up in some grimy restaurants eating cooked intestines. It was already half past noon, and Jae Kyung's original idea of going to the zoo had been shot down when they realized that they didn't know how to board a train, let alone which one to take to get there. So far, they had browsed through ordinary shops until they ended up eating lunch here. The sky outside had begun to turn gray as clouds rolled in from the north.

"Don't you two think we have to get stuff to go to school with?" Ga Eul said, finished eating. The other two stared at her and so she continued. "Like pencils?"

"Maybe the maid will bring them," Jae Kyung said, nose still scrunched up at the smell of the intestines.

"Where do you even buy school supplies?" Jan Di wondered. The three girls stood up and paid for their food, talking about preparations for the next day. They would be getting their uniforms delivered tonight.

"Ga Eul, you could ask any boy for a pencil and he would give it to you," Jae Kyung said, pinching the younger girl's cheek. Ga Eul swatted her away, frowning as the trio walked down the street.

"You shouldn't say stuff like that," she said. Jan Di didn't say anything. She knew her best friend was way less than the most confident girl in the country, despite being featured on the cover of more fashion magazines than could be counted with your fingers.

"Why not?" Jae Kyung said.

"I don't want to depend on anyone, of course," Ga Eul said.

"Even without all our prep stuff, any boy would sell his soul to your face," Jae Kyung said, and Ga Eul rolled her eyes.

"Do you think they'll have a pool?" Jan Di asked, changing the subject. Ga Eul had always been a little shy about the topic of boys.

"Who knows with commoners," Jae Kyung said, and her tone of voice suggested that commoners were an entirely different species of people. Jan Di wouldn't mind this arrangement so much if she could just go swimming. Maybe she would even try out for the team if they had one, she thought in amusement.

A rumbling sound came from up above, and before they could wonder what it was the rain began to pour. Scuttling under the nearest awning, they decided to call it a day and try and get back home. They had been forbidden to use money for a taxi, their only money budgeted for food and supplies. None of the three had thought to bring an umbrella, of course.

They shook out their shoes waiting under another awning. Jan Di wrung out her drenched hair, reminded of how she dried her hair after swimming. She opened her mouth to say something but the door behind them opened, and before Jan Di knew it she was knocked face first onto the wet cement. Her knees stung, and her shirt was immediately drenched by the dirty puddle that was the sidewalk. She hissed as her scrapped up hands began to bleed.

"Hey!" Ga Eul called after the tall brown haired guy as Jae Kyung shouted "Watch it!"

"What an idiot," Jae Kyung said as Ga Eul leaned down to help her friend.

"A-ah-ah" Jan Di gasped, wincing as she tried to get up. Who knew that being pushed into the ground hurt so much?

"Are you alright miss?" Jan Di looked up at the new voice. Standing to the doorway to the store was a tall blond haired boy, probably just as old as Jae Kyung. He was looking at her. Jan Di blinked. It was obvious to all of them that he was _extremely_ attractive. "Sorry about my friend, he was really in a hurry."

"I'm alright," she said, although she didn't move off the ground.

"No, she isn't. Do you have a towel and some band aids?" Ga Eul asked for her, internally exasperated at how Jan Di refused help.

The three followed him inside. It was a music store, mostly replacement parts and equipment. Off the main room, Jan Di spotted a hallway and a glass window that showed a practice room where a couple of kids were laughing and tuning their violins and falling off their chairs.

"Here," He said, pulling a chair out from behind the desk, and gesturing for her to sit. "I'll be right back." Jan Di watched as he walked down the hallway and out of sight. Behind her, Jae Kyung was about to burst into a peel of laughter for some reason, nudging Ga Eul who was terrible at concealing her grin.

"What," Jan Di said, squinting at them suspiciously. Ga Eul just shook her head. "I think we can just call this an emergency and call a cab," Jan Di sighed.

"We're almost back though," Ga Eul pointed out.

"Just ask dream boat for an umbrella and we'll be fine," Jae Kyung said, shrugging. _Dream boat? _Jan Di was about to retort but just then said dream boat walked back into the hallway. He was carrying a large towel, and a first aid kit. He handed them the items and then looked a little uncomfortable.

"I'm Ji Hoo, by the way. Yoon Ji Hoo. If you don't mind, I've got a class going on right now, so-"

"I'll be fine, thank you," Jan Di said, smiling. Ji Hoo nodded, and turned to rejoin his class.

"Wait! Could we borrow an umbrella," Jae Kyung said. He stopped, and then went behind his desk.

"Here," he said. It was the type of umbrella that rolled up very small even though it was very large, and Jae Kyung went to take it.

"Wait. If it's your only one we don't have to take it," Ga Eul interrupted. Jan Di, now drying her sopping shirt with the towel, smiled as she noticed how Ga Eul's courtesy annoyed Jae Kyung.

"It's fine. I have two."

"We'll bring it back another day," Jae Kyung said, taking it out of his hands. "Thanks." He nodded and went back to the classroom.

Ga Eul helped Jan Di clean her knees off and stick band aids onto them. They left the kit on the desk, drying off the chair before putting it back.

"I wouldn't mind making some music with that boy, if you get my drift," Jae Kyung said as they walked out of the store. The rain had lightened considerably, and the umbrella that Jae Kyung, as the tallest, held over their heads protected them from any further misfortune.

"You are shameless," Ga Eul tutted, and Jae Kyung almost cackled.

"He was really nice to help me out. It wasn't really his fault," Jan Di said, thinking of the figure that had thrown her to the ground. She scowled. "His friend seems like a real idiot though."

"I'm sure we'll have time to meet them both again," Ga Eul said. "We are here for six months after all."

"I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Ji Hoo again," Jae Kyung said and Jan Di rolled her eyes before a thought occurred to her.

"Do you think they got to our school?"

"No. He doesn't look like he's still in high school."

"He's looked as old as you," Ga Eul said to Jae Kyung.

"We will just have to see," Jan Di said as they finally arrived in front of their apartment.

"We won't be able to miss a guy that tall anyways," Jae Kyung said as they stepped into the elevator. Jan Di leaned back, resting her head against the mirrored wall behind her.

Back in her apartment, the maid had already come by. On her bed, her new school uniform was laid out. She touched the embroidered red _H.H.S. _on the lapel of the gray shirt and felt a little nervous. For better or for worse, tomorrow she would be starting Hana High School.

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**Hello readers!  
****I've only just joined this fandom, and I've had absolutely zero previous exposure to Korean media so let me know if I need to correct anything!  
****It will not be a JihooXJandi fic so sorry if I sort of lead that on in this chapter. **

**I've also never written much romance before, so let me know what you think as the story goes on! I love to see reviews!**

**I'm planning on updating this every week, but no promises because I also have a life. **

**Thank you!**

**~Laila **


	2. Chapter 2

Jan Di shared a wide-eyed glance with Ga Eul before they returned to staring at the school. Hana High was surrounded by a dense cloud of students that buzzed like a horde of bees. Fighting their way through it would be quite a challenge.

"Make it to the main office, and we'll be all set," Jae Kyung said. Her status as the older sister of the group displayed was plain for all to see as she parted the crowd for the other two. A few people stared, mainly looking at Jae Kyung's fearless figure. Jan Di hadn't felt so anonymous in a long time, and if she was honest with herself she actually had missed it. She smiled at Ga Eul, whose eyes were fascinated with the ordinary and intimidating student body. Not a single person in this school knew who they actually were. Not even the administration had been told.

"...Geum, Chu, Ha. Yes, I have all your schedules for you," the woman said. Her face was smiling but her eyes remained as bland as ever as she handed over the folders. "Classes have already started, so get there as soon as possible."

"Thank you!" Jan Di said, but the woman had returned to playing solitaire on her computer.

"Let's compare our schedules," Ga Eul said as she whipped out the half sheet of paper. Jae Kyung already looked disappointed.

"I'm not going to have any classes with you two... I'm out of your grade," she pouted, carelessly glancing at the sheet. "_Ugh_, gym first thing."

"We have lunch together," Ga Eul said, smiling.

"Nothing else?" Jan Di leaned closer, examining them. "How did you get a pottery class while I have music? That's not fair." She could imagine relearning how to play a recorder along with twenty other commoners... The three girls exited the office. The hallways were so barren, both population-wise and in terms of decor. The strict schedule and the practical utility of everything in the building meant that the atmosphere was on the other end of the spectrum from the private liberal academy they had been at previously.

"It's a waste of time," Ga Eul agreed. "Speaking of, shouldn't we get to class?"

"Haven't you ever heard of fashionably late," Jae Kyung flipped her hair back. "I think I'm going to look around for a while. Besides, I'm not missing anything in _gym._" She rolled her eyes.

"I can imagine the headlines already," Jan Di said, a side of her mouth quirked up. "_Singer caught wearing ugly sweats- accident or avant-garde_?"

"You make everything look good," Ga Eul said, rolling her eyes. "Well, I don't want to show up too late. That'll just be awkward. I'll see you at lunch." Ga Eul walked off quickly, already scanning the door numbers to find hers. Jan Di smiled at her back; Ga Eul sometimes seemed more adventurous than the other two girls put together. Jan Di turned her eyes back to her paper. Of _course _she had physics first. She sighed, and with a grimace on her face she waved Jae Kyung away and started her search.

"Good Morning!" Jan Di stammered. She had thought it would be a good idea to throw the door open, conveying to her teacher that she was excited. She _had _to be excited- she had searched _everywhere _for this reprehensible classroom. Instead of looking glad to see her, the entire classroom was staring at her in shock. Some students were smirking, some looked lost in another dimension with drool lolling out, but they all were obviously wondering what she could possibly be doing there.

"New student?" Jan Di's eyes focused back on the teacher.

"Yes sir! My name is Geum Jan Di."

"Nice to meet ya. Sit down." Jan Di's face fell as the man turned back to the board. She slowly walked down the side of the room, glancing around for a place to sit. A group of girls burst out laughing, covering their mouths with their hands as they whispered to one another. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Sitting in the second to last row, a girl with hair curled in a cute style and a large pink flower pinned into it was waving her over. She could've sang with relief, and she beamed as she rushed over before the offer was declined.

"You're new around here?" The girl said as Jan Di slid into her seat. Glancing to make sure the teacher wasn't watching them, Jan Di turned to the girl.

"I just moved here," Jan Di said.

"I'm Oh Min Ji," the girl said. She really had a beautiful face, and Jan Di couldn't help but admire how well put together she was. For a commoner, that is. Of course.

"Hey, would ya move out of my way," came a voice from behind her. Jan Di immediately slid her chair over a little bit, turning to apologize. Her apology turned into a snarl as she saw that the guy wasn't paying any attention. His feet were kicked up onto his desk in a very unprofessional manner, and he was throwing wads of paper and spit balls at the boy in front of her, who was flinching like mad. Who did this curly haired guy think he was? Honestly, who put that much effort into their hair? Jan Di rolled her eyes, and gave Min Ji with a look that conveyed her annoyance.

"You should probably just leave that guy alone," the other girl whispered, glancing up to the front of the class. Jan Di opened her mouth to ask another question, but she was cut off. "I'll tell you later. Let's just study now, kay?"

The bell rang. Jan Di didn't register anything, but it seemed that the rest of the student population had been waiting for it. She jumped as everyone leapt to their feet, scurrying out of the classroom as though that would get them to the end of their day quicker.

"What are you doing Jan Di? Are you moving?" Min Ji snapped her out of her reverie.

"What?"

"To next class?"

"Oh... Yeah," Jan Di got up, carrying her notebooks in her hands. She was still unsure as to why everyone was in a rush. She hadn't had such irritating bells at her private school. "So," she began as they left the class. "Are you going to tell me about-" She stopped as she spotted the curly headed offender. A small ring had formed in the middle of the hallway, and in the center he stood (it was actually difficult to miss him because he was a head taller than almost everybody) and in front of him, the quivering boy who had been the victim of spitballs back in that physics class. She glanced at Min Ji, who pursed her lips, neither accepting nor condemning what was about to happen. Jan Di moved closer.

"You have three seconds."

"What? I-" The shorter student was looking around in disbelief, but no one stepped out to help him

"One. Two. Three." Curly head held out his hand, and a boy standing right behind him handed off a half empty bottle of juice. Jan Di watched with dread as the inevitable took place- the crowd waited with bated breath, and Jan Di could tell that they must regularly anticipated this entertainment. She felt sick as she watched the curly head's blank expression as he poured the juice, and the shorter boy trembled like a leaf and didn't take action as his shirt was destroyed. The crowd held until the last drops of juice trickled down the boy's back. As the bottle fell to the floor, another bell rang, and the crowd immediately scattered, rushing to classes. Jan Di glared at the curly haired boy, who turned to his friend and started talking as though this wasn't something to be ashamed of.

"I'm going to be late," Min Ji said. "Sorry! I'll see you at lunch." She rushed off before Jan Di could say goodbye. Commoners certainly had a curious form of school hierarchy. Something about that guy definitely rubbed her the wrong way... She couldn't believe she had just stood there for the whole incident! _Next time, _she told herself. Next time she would definitely do something about it...

"So, New Girl?" Jan Di looked up. She had been working on a worksheet in her history class. No one had tried to talk to her, and twenty minutes into the class she had decided to just try actually doing homework and see where it went. She was surprised to find that the reading was interesting.

The girl who had spoken was staring at her, waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Are you in there?" She turned to her friend and laughed, while Jan Di sat up straighter and frowned at them. There were three girls staring at her, and although she hadn't seen many, Jan Di had watched enough dramas to be able to identify a Queen Bee Trio.

"What do you want?" She said. It came out ruder than she had intended, and the other girl looked taken aback.

"Who do you think you're talking to that way? Do you even know why I am?" The girl threw back her light brown hair, and gave a condescending laugh.

"I have no idea. Maybe you should learn to introduce yourself properly." Jan Di gave the girl her fakest smile. "I'll demonstrate. I'm Geum Jan Di."

"Wow, even your name is ugly," said the one of the other girls. "Jan Di? Like a grass lawn?" Jan Di rolled her eyes. As if she hadn't heard _that _one before.

"Alright newbie. I'm Ginger," said the first girl.

"Sunny," Said the one to her right. Jan Di didn't miss how practiced the trio said their names, as though they had been together designing this routine for a long while.

"Miranda."

"Together, we're the Jin-Sun-Mi of Hana High, and you'd better not forget it." Jan Di wanted to roll her eyes, but restrained herself. Of _course _they would self-appoint themselves the Jin-Sun-Mi. How quaint. Being in the world of show biz for two years, Jan Di had come across her fair share of girls like these.

"Okay, _Ginger. _What do you want from me?"

"We need your worksheet. It's only right that you lend a hand to us, because you never know when you'll need one. That's the way things work around here." Jan Di sighed and passed up her paper. A part of her hoped her answers were wrong so that they would fail the assignment. The trio instantly turned back to the front and began copying the answers.

"This school's full of crazy people," Jan Di muttered, leaning back. "First that crazy curly head guy, and now this..."

Almost as if on cue, the trio swiveled back around.

"You had better not be talking about Gu Joon Pyo," Sunny said, her eyes narrowed in menace. All the girls were glaring, arms crossed. Jan Di was thoroughly bemused.

"Hah?"

"Gu Joon Pyo? The most talented, attractive, and popular guy in this school?"

"So even people like _that _can be well known," Jan Di said disapprovingly. How could a bully like him be so popular?'

"Since you're new, I'll let you off the hook this one time," Ginger said. "And just so you don't make a mistake, let me tell you about F4 so you have no excuse next time you cross us."

"What? F4?" This was getting too complicated.

"F4 is Hana High's four most gorgeous, popular, and talented males. Everyone wants to either be them or date them. _Everyone," _Ginger said, emphatic, her hand tapping on the desk to press her point. "And leading them is Gu Joon Pyo. He's the top student, and he makes his own money too. He's striker for our soccer team, and his mother is president of the school board. He can basically do anything he wants," she finished.

"As he should," Miranda chimed in, her eyes glazed over as though imagining the focus of her admiration. Jan Di scoffed.

"Looking up to normal people as gods is just wrong," she muttered.

"We'll see," Ginger said, the happy look on her face from talking about her idols disappearing as she sneered at Jan Di. The bell rang.

"Let's get out of this place," Sunny said, and the three trooped off, but not before dropping Jan Di's paper onto the floor and stepping on it. Jan Di sighed as she kneeled down to pick it up.

"Jan Di?" Min Ji was standing in the hallway, books in arms. "What are you doing down there?"

"Do you know three girls, Ginger, Sunny, and Miranda?" Jan Di asked once they were together out in the hallways. In the dense crowd, Jan Di had to follow Min Ji's tail through the small gaps in students. More than once her toes were stepped on, and it was hot and loud. Min Ji had promised to show Jan Di around the enormous school, especially since they had lunch together.

"Yeah. They've always been popular, mostly because they head the F4 fan club."

"Always?" Jan Di asked. "How long have you been going to school here?"

"I've been with these people since kindergarten," Min Ji said. Jan Di didn't voice it aloud, but she wondered why Min Ji didn't have any other friends hanging about it the girl had been around for that long. She tried to brush the thought away, figuring that she would probably be the same way if Ga Eul hadn't been in her kindergarten class. Speaking of Ga Eul...

"Hey!" Jan Di said excitedly as she spotted the familiar long fine hair and the pink book bag. Ga Eul jumped, her eyes focusing away from whatever she had been staring at. She smiled as Jan Di pulled her out of the way of an oncoming swarm of girls.

"What are you staring at so intently?" Jan Di joked, and didn't expect a response from Ga Eul, who just frowned. "How was class?"

"Fine."

"Who is this?" Min Ji said from Jan Di's left.

"Oh Min Ji, meet my friend Chu Ga Eul," Jan Di said, and the two girls greeted at each other. "Let's get to the lunch room," she continued, throwing an arm around each of them. "I'm _starving_."

"What _is _this?" Jan Di held her lunch tray at an arm's length away. The odor inside the lunch room seemed to irritate Jan Di's nostrils with its oily quality. None of the students looked excited to eat what was being served, seeming resigned. Jan Di and Ga Eul had fumbled with the process of getting their food, trying to follow the bored rhythm that Min Ji had in getting her stuff.

"It's better than it looks," Min Ji said cheerfully as Ga Eul and Jan Di shared a look and wrinkled their noses. "The rice is sometimes undercooked, but the soup is usually great." Jan Di supposed she could identify the food, but she still questioned how clean the dish was. "So after we eat, we can do whatever we want before our next classes. Is there anything in particular you would like to-"

"The pool!" Jan Di burst in, nodding in excitement. "The pool."

"Does this school have a swim-Ah!" Ga Eul shouted as she smacked into another student, and the collision was horrific. The careless guy who had run into her had upended her entire lunch tray and glass of juice all over her front. Before she could fully assess the damage, people had started laughing.

"Oh my god," Min Ji said, and at the same time the guy who had knocked into her started to guffaw. Ga Eul looked around and stared in shock at the one responsible as the tables around them erupted into laughter.

"Jan Di," Ga Eul said after a moment.

"Bathroom," Jan Di agreed, and slammed her tray onto the nearest table, pieces of rice flying at the students who couldn't help but laugh at the new girl's misery. Jan Di and Ga Eul flew from the room, and it was only when the doors had closed behind them that Jan Di realized that she didn't even know where the bathroom was.

"I can't believe it," Jan Di burst out, wishing she had some napkins to help her dripping friend. Ga Eul didn't say anything, just kept her mouth in a tight line. Her distress was evident as she took long fast strides away from the cafeteria. Jan Di had to almost jog to keep up with her, and as they rounded another corner-

_Wham! _Collision two. Ga Eul stumbled back, unable to brace for the second impact, and this time she fell.

"Hey! Watch where you're going," the guy took a step back, tutting as he flicked off the bits of rice that had transferred onto his uniform.

"I-" Ga Eul was about to say something, but stopped as he held out a hand to help her up.

"Rough first day?" He said.

"Yeah... Thanks," She said awkwardly. Jan Di didn't know if she could say something, evaluating the guy. He seemed a little older than them, much taller, and it was obvious he took a lot of pride in combing his hair.

"Have to go," he said as soon as Ga Eul was back on her feet. Jan Di watched him turn around the corner and out of sight.

"Do you know that guy?"

"He's in my pottery class," Ga Eul mumbled. Jan Di's heart went out to her as she saw Ga Eul's desolate expression.

"Aw, cheer up! It's going to be alright. I'll get you cleaned up in no time. Come on," Jan Di dragged Ga Eul down the hallway to where she could see the sign for the bathroom.

"I don't know if I want to go back to class," Ga Eul said as Jan Di washed off the other girl's jacket. She didn't know much about getting clothes clean, but she wasn't stupid. The hand drier would serve well enough to finish the job, and Ga Eul was sponging off her shirt with napkins.

"Well what else do you think you'll do?"

"I don't know," she said sullenly. "Maybe I'll get a cab or take the bus."

"Ga Eul, there are only two more classes left. It's not like-"

"Jan Di, it doesn't make a difference," she sighed heavily. "I'll catch up tomorrow."

"Alright," Jan Di said after a moment. "I'll call you a cab."

"That's alright. I'm going to walk." Walk? Jan Di had offered to spend their emergency budget on her and she'd rather just walk, cold and dirty, all the way back?

"Well, just make sure you get something to eat because you missed lunch."

"I'm really not feeling hungry."

"Ga Eul, what's wrong?" Jan Di asked in concern.

"Don't worry about it," Ga Eul said. She took her damp jacket out of Jan Di's hands and swung it onto her shoulders. Jan Di didn't like the thought of her friend walking home all alone, because people could get hurt even in the middle of the day. Not to mention the fact that her friend seemed more bummed than usual.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I've never _not _been alright, Jan Di." Ga Eul smiled, if only for her friend's sake. "You should get back to Min Ji. Ask about the swim team."

"But-"

"I promise I'll be fine. I'll see you at home, alright?" Ga Eul said sternly. Jan Di nodded, and they shared a careful hug.

"It's just six months," Jan Di said. They shared a look, and then after a moment the absurdity of the statement sunk in and they started laughing. _Only _six months. Ha.

After finding Min Ji again, telling her about Ga Eul's decision to go home, and asking her about the swim team (Which they did in fact have- try outs would be in a few weeks), Jan Di made her way to music class.

Music. As someone who excelled at most forms of music, especially singing, it likely would be redundant anyways. She had even written a few of the songs that her group had performed, including their first hit. Nonetheless, opening the door to the music room was a relief. It was familiar. She was in her element.

She sat down on her own, a little early to class. She took out her phone and started fiddling with it. Of course it was a top brand, and it had many preloaded features. She just didn't know how to _work _it! Trying to figure out how to add contacts had been a nightmare, and this morning when Ga Eul had tried to explain how to install emojis Jan Di had given up completely. At least she could access the camera.

"If Mr. Han finds out that you've got your cell phone out, you'll definitely get written up," said a voice. Jan Di jumped, and lowered her phone. A tall girl with her hair in a low ponytail was standing over her. She smiled.

"Thanks for the warning," Jan Di said, putting it away. Didn't students always have their phones in school? That's what the movies said...

"Mind if I sit here?" the girl said. Before Jan Di could say yes, she took the opposite seat anyways. "You play any instruments?"

"Yeah, a few." Well, that was an understatement.

"And what's your name?"

"Geum Jan Di."

"Nice to meet you. You remind me of someone I've seen before." She looked puzzled for a moment, before brushing the look off. "I'm Cha Eun-jae. It's nice to see some new faces around here. People get so predictable sometimes. Let me know if anyone is bothering you, alright?" She smiled again before beginning to pull out her folder and book from her bag. Jan Di couldn't help but like Cha Eun-jae.

After Mr. Han entered and took attendance, the class all worked on their own. The room was full of noise- some music, some sounding like a cat from the depths of a hell being dragged into a bathtub. Mr. Han circled the room, instructing students on how they can perfect their piece. Jan Di gathered that they were preparing for some type of performance at the end of the semester, which was already halfway over. A winter recital then. Jan Di didn't make an attempt to be seen, content watching everyone doing their best. She evaluated each of the students. Many of them were in their senior year, and likewise many students who were younger and trying their best. Her eyes dropped on two boys in the front. One of them looked familiar... That would be silly. Why would she know anyone here? She looked closer, thinking that the blond hair definitely reminded her of someone she had just seen recently...

Oh! She sat back, shocked. So music store boy was here? What a weird coincidence that they were in the same school and same class. Wouldn't Jae Kyung and Jan Di be surprised to hear this...

"Geum Jan Di, was it?" She was pulled from her thoughts by the brisk voice of Mr. Han. She looked up.

"Yes, sir."

"I'd like you to know that because our class has many freedoms in it, which also means students have a much higher responsibility to keep up with the work. Keep this in mind next time you're staring at a boy daydreaming."

"Sir-" She felt very embarrassed. "I just didn't know what to do yet."

"Of course." He held up his clip board. "I have a wide selection of pieces to choose from. What instrument do you play? What level?"

"What instruments do you have?" She asked slowly. Of course her preferred was the piano, but it looked like someone was already using the only one in the room.

"Do you really have _that _many talents, Geum?" He scoffed. "Name your instrument."

"I'd love to play piano," she said brightly, trying to ignore the condescending tone the teacher used with her. Her instructors at her private academy had never been negative like this.

"Taken."

"Cello, then," she said.

"Alright, follow me." She walked after him, glancing back at Eun-jae playing her piece on the flute who paused to give her a thumbs-up.

In a cabinet, the cello's case barely fit. Mr. Han pulled it out, carefully placing it on the floor before instructing her to hold it. "And be careful," he added as he moved to the collection of sheet music. "It is school property." Jan Di tapped her foot in annoyance as she watched Mr. Han drop pages everywhere, not bothering to put them back where they belonged. He walked past her, leading her back to the room. She grimaced when she accidentally hit the case on the floor, and Mr. Han shot her a glare.

"_Here._" He placed the sheet music on a stand. He stood it in the middle of class, and pulled up a chair. "You're going to have to play this before I can give you your assignment. Do you need me to tune it for you?" Jan Di shook her head, and inside she thought about how she could tune her own instruments before she could read. It was a little insulting. _Brush it off Jan Di_, she told herself, sitting down and extracting the instrument and bow from the case. The body of the cello was dinged up, the back had some graffiti, and the strings could probably do with being replaced. Giving it a test with her fingers, she immediately set to work tuning it up, using the tuning fork inside the case.

"You ready yet? Class is almost over," Mr. Han said.

"Yes sir." The piece he had given her was child's play. One page and very simple. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see that the majority of the class had stopped what they were doing to watch her. She felt the tingle of nerves in the tips of her fingers. _Right, because that makes perfect sense. I can perform in front of crowds of thousands, but not a few commoner teens, _she the blond boy and his friend had paused to watch her. Straightening herself, she began.

Nothing went wrong. Her hand was steady, and the notes sung from the instrument that had probably never been touched by professionally trained hands before. The memory of practicing all alone in her room when she was just a little kid for hours on end came to the front of her mind. She remembered dreaming of performing. Crying because she couldn't get the hang of a piece.

A minute later, she finished the last note. She smiled, looking out at the class. Everybody had stopped to listen. A few looked jealous. Jan Di spotted Eun-jae, who started clapping.

"Looks like you're in the wrong school of music," Mr. Han said quietly. "Where did you used to go to school?"

"I-" the bell rang, saving her. _Cover story, Jan Di! _She quickly packed up the cello, and barely heard Mr. Han tell her he would have her assignment ready tomorrow.

"You're really amazing, Jan Di," Eun-jae said. "I think I know who you remind me of now," the older girl said before joining the crowd out of the classroom. Jan Di smiled, unsure. Could it be that she had just given herself away to the whole class? No, definitely not. But judging by the surprise and twinkle in Eun-jae's eyes, something was definitely up.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Thank you for reading**

**Now we have Oh Min Ji, Cha Eun-jae, Sunny, Ginger, Miranda, and some barely named Gu Joon Pyo and F4. What a great day. **

**I know this chapter might have seemed a little slow, but I just wanted to establish the basic experience of a first day. I'm trying to mix in elements of the show with the three girls while keeping true to their personalities. **

**That being said, you'll be excited to hear that next chapter will begin with the Great F4 vs Jan Di war. Oh that'll be good. **

**Thank you so so so very much to everyone who left a comment I love you! Keep telling me what you think :)**

**Until next week**

**Laila **


	3. Chapter 3

**Despite my efforts to finish this chapter Friday, the 23 hour long website crash started the moment I pushed upload. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

"If he's so smart, why is he in a physics class for juniors?" Jan Di asked sullenly as she walked out of her class, Min Ji close behind her. The beginning of the day had started with another bullying incident. Jan Di was amazed at how brutally cruel the F4 had been, watching as Gu Jong Pyo smashed a cake into a girls face. The entire class she had had to listen to students titter about the event, and it was getting under her skin.

"Because he's not _in _our class," Min Ji said.

"What?"

"He's the teacher's assistant, but he doesn't have to help because he'll never get reported. That's just how it works around here," Min Ji shrugged before waving and rushing off to her next class. Jan Di hadn't yet gotten into the flow of the rush to class. She understood keeping to a schedule- oh, she understood _perfectly. _She couldn't bring herself to care. The administration wasn't going to call her parents, and even if they somehow got the contact of Korea's wealthiest family, her parents wouldn't mind.

She walked down the empty stairwell, muttering to herself in annoyance. She was walking extra slowly because she didn't want to see Ginger, Sunny, and Miranda's smug faces. Even when they weren't directing their scorn towards her, they made her think of elementary school memories that she'd rather keep buried.

"F4," She growled, shaking her head disapprovingly. "F4? Four what? Four dung flies?" She shuffled her feet, pausing on a step, thinking of new nicknames. "Jong Pyo? Thong Pyo. Ah, I swear, if I ever have to address those F4 flies as seniors I will throw myself from the rooftop," She huffed, stomping. She glanced up from the spot in the floor she was glaring at, and then froze. Sitting at the bottom of the stairs, staring impatiently at her, was F4's Yun Ji Hoo. The same person in her music class, the same person she had met in the music store two days ago. She twisted her fingers together, nervous. Should she just walk away? What if he had heard her?

"Is it true?" He asked after a moment.

"What?" She said nervously. Which part? Four flies? Thong Pyo?

"That you would jump off a roof." She cringed as soon as he said it, and she didn't respond. No, of course she hadn't been serious. Was he trying to get a rise out of her, an apology?

"Is that all you heard?" She asked slowly.

"What else was there?" He said, standing up. "Four Flies? Thong Pyo?" She felt embarrassed, but in the face of one of the F4, she couldn't take back her statement. As long as they terrorized the weak they deserved to be called names. "And by the way," he said, pausing on the same step as her. "It's Gu _Joon _Pyo, not Jong Pyo. If you're going to have an enemy, you should at least do the decency of learning their name."

_._._

The rest of the day passed without event, and Min Ji promised to take Jan Di to the school's swimming pool and get permission for them to use it.

It was a nice pool. Not Olympic sized of course, but roomy and clean. The pool room was empty except for Min Ji sitting on one of the chairs. Jan Di loved the feel of the water on her skin and finally being able to stretch her muscles. She had been forbidden from swimming too much when she started dancing two years ago. Her trainer was afraid that she would gain too much muscle and not look appealing. Jan Di rolled her eyes whenever she thought about it. After swimming in this school for six months, it would be funny to see her trainer's expression when they saw all the "muscle." It might ease the disappointment Jan Di had felt from all the swim coaches who told her parents that she would never become a professional swimmer and might as well do something else with her talents of coordination.

Min Ji leant her a hand, and Jan Di smiled.

"The two best things in this school are right in this room," Jan Di said, plucking her goggles off her eyes and blinking away the moisture.

"What's that?" Min Ji said.

"This swimming pool, and Oh Min Ji," Jan Di said, and Min Ji grinned as she hauled her friend out of the pool. "Do you have anything to do after this?" Jan Di asked as she took her towel and dried off her face.

"No. Why?"

"Let's get some ice-cream from the store at the end of the street."

"I don't really eat that many sweets. They're not good for you." The curly haired girl bit her lip guiltily. Jan Di's eyes widened, and she felt like she was duty bound to convince her friend. She hated all the diets that her parents and trainers had put her through, even though they were necessary for her job. Oh Min Ji, who lead a normal life, deserved to just put aside ridiculous standards for controlling what she ate and have a bit of fun. What teenage girl didn't like ice-cream?

"I don't either, but this is a special occasion."

"What's the occasion?"

"It's a Tuesday."

"_Jan Di, _you're just being-"

"Wait for me to change, I'll buy it for you!" Jan Di called as she walked off into the locker room, closing the topic for debate.

_._._

The ice-cream parlor had been lovely, and both girls were back at Hana High walking on the concrete wall around the building waiting for Min Ji's mother to come and pick her up. Jan Di had realized why Oh Min Ji didn't like sugar; it made her very hyper and loose lipped. She was laughing at some of the things that Min Ji was spewing, the energetic girl saying everything that came to mind with no filter. They walked all the way around the school, and by the time they were at the back door they were in hysterics. A couple of people were on the lawn, some practicing sports, others just enjoying the weather while it lasted. That's when disaster struck. Min Ji, breathless from laughing and eyes dancing, misplaced her step and her foot slipped off the edge of the wall, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Oh Min Ji," Jan Di said in shock, and jumped down to where her friend had fallen. "Are you alright?" Then she noticed the full gravity of the situation. Standing in front of the two girls were the four members of F4, and Min Ji's ice-cream was now a puddle of milky goo on top of the shoes of... Gu Joon Pyo.

"I-I-I'm so sorry," Oh Min Ji stuttered, and Jan Di looked between the grim disgusted face of Gu Joon Pyo and Min Ji's stricken face, and felt sick when she realized that her friend was tearing up. "I'll buy you a new pair, I promise. I-"

"Are you kidding me?" Gu Joon Pyo said, and then laughed harshly. "Are you rich or something? Do you know what I had to do for these shoes? These are special edition, they sold out the day they were released, and I was the first in line to get a pair. You're dead, you idiot girl."

"I-I'm sorry, I swear I'll do anything to make it up to you, _please._"

"Anything?" Gu Joon Pyo sneered at her. Jan Di's eyes narrowed darkly. _What was he thinking? _She was worried. Looking at the other three senior guys, none of them looked even mildly concerned with something bad happening. Yun Ji Hoo didn't even look like he recognized her. They couldn't count on anyone stepping in for them.

"Yes!" Min Ji said.

"Lick them. Lick my shoes clean."

"What?" Oh Min Ji whispered, completely humiliated, and the sight of her tears set Jan Di off. How could it be that only moments before they had been having such a good time? If only she could pull status and order the guy to back off! But she wasn't in the world of status and respect anymore. In the nitty gritty realm of commoners, she would have to earn some power here before she could start pulling it.

"You said you would do anything, right?" The words hung in the air, and Min Ji looked away, blinking away her tears. It was time to step in.

"That's enough," Jan Di said, stepping between the two and pushing Min Ji slightly behind her. "It was an accident, and she said sorry. What, do you think she _wanted _to spill on your shoes?" She scoffed.

"Who do you think you're talking to so informally?" The boy scowled at her as though she was an annoying yippy dog. "Address your seniors with respect. If sorry was good enough, then there wouldn't be laws and police." Jan Di rolled her eyes at the age old proverb. "Besides, it's none of your business."

"It _is_ my business."

"Yeah?" He said sarcastically. "Why?"

"Because she's my friend. I suppose people like _you _don't understand what a friend even is," she said, her haughty tone of voice condemning the word '_you' _as though Gu Joon Pyo was a piece of gum stuck to her shoe. His eyes narrowed, unbelieving that someone had the nerve to address one of the F4 in such a fashion.

"Alright, then show me what real friendship is. You lick it," he said. Jan Di blinked, uncomprehending.

"What?"

"If you lick them, I'll let both of you go. Just this once." Jan Di sensed Min Ji quivering behind her. No way was she letting Min Ji feel responsible for this. _And _there was _no way _that she was licking this big idiot's shoes! A heavy pause gave her a moment to think what to do. She lowered her head, as though going through with the punishment. A split second passed, and her impulse control disappeared. She whipped back up, smashing her own ice cream come into Gu Joon Pyo's nose.

"Hey!" He staggered, falling onto his backside. She would have laughed if she wasn't so furious.

"Take your shoes to the cleaners, and if you still can't get them clean, send me the bill. Guys like you make me want to kick something! You better not cross me again or I'll definitely target you," she said, glaring. After a moment of complete shock and silence from everyone witnessing the spectacle, Jan Di turned around, not bothering to watch the other guys pick up their defeated friend.

"_Jan Di," _Min Ji whispered in horror. Jan Di smiled at her friend.

"Sorry about your ice cream," she said cheerfully, ignoring what had just happened. "I'll get you another one next week."

"_Hey," _shouted Gu Joon Pyo, and when Jan Di turned back she frowned. "Don't walk away!"

"Are you serious?" Jan Di said, irritation turning to outrage at his audacity. Couldn't this guy understand to quit when he was ahead? "Don't you know the 36th strategy is to run away?"

"Listen here," he said, and all of a sudden he was very _very _close, his finger pointed accusingly in her face. She leaned back, the fact that she could count each of his eyelashes and feel his breath a warning that she was far too close. "You do _not _want to mess with me. I know you're new around here, but I don't care. Apologize or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Jan Di said, eyes wide, daring him to say what he was threatening. His face froze for a moment, and it was just long enough to become obvious that something had distracted him. _He didn't even look away from me though? _What a weirdo. His eyes returned to a glare, and he pushed her back, just hard enough for her to stagger.

"You'll regret this you dumbass," he spat, and then turned heel and stalked off, followed by his entourage who all looked smug about something. Jan Di drew herself up to her full height, affronted. _So, he's a guy that likes to push girls? _What a bastard.

"Are you okay, Jan Di?" Min Ji looked like she couldn't decide whether to faint or burst into tears.

"Fine, fine," she said. She swallowed, pulling her eyes away from her opponent's back. "Should we go see if your mom arrived yet?"

_._._

Taking the bus home, Jan Di relaxed her forehead against the cool glass. The ride wasn't too busy, the passengers who took the bus from work already home. She sighed. She had a lot of homework left to do. The maid had told her that her mother wanted Jan Di to treat this school as seriously as any other. She folded her arms. At any serious school, she would report the F4 idiots straight to the administration. She didn't like needlessly taking things into her own hands if she wasn't involved. But if Gu Joon Pyo's mother was the head of the school board, Jan Di would only be making another enemy. Not only that, but at this point she couldn't leave the problem to someone else. He had insulted her pride by asking her and Min Ji to lick his shoes, and she would _not _let that go down without at least trying to destroy his grip on the student population. He would regret the day he had ever pushed her.

Kicking off her boots as soon as she was through her door, she clutched her growling stomach. What to make... She still felt perplexed by the phenomena of choosing what she had to eat and working for it. She had learned how to use the rice cooker yesterday, and today she wanted to try and tackle the dried ramen noodles. The noodles she had always eaten were fresh, but she didn't have a choice.

"Jan Di! I heard you come in," Jae Kyung said, bursting through the door that had been left open. "You hungry? Me and Ga Eul were going to make something."

"I've already started the water for ramen, just come over here," Jan Di said cheerfully as she eyed the tomatoes sitting on the fruit stand. Maybe she could figure out how to make this soup a little more interesting...

_._._

"You _what?" _Ga Eul was looking at Jan Di in shock. "To-"

"Yes, to Gu Joon Pyo," Jan Di said, slurping her bowl of noodles. She was amazed at how good the ramen had turned out, and was a little pleased with herself. "He crossed the line, I can't help it if I make enemies."

"Chew your food without talking," Jae Kyung said glumly. "I always miss all the fun stuff..."

"Fun?" Jan Di said in disgust. "He was about to make Min Ji burst into tears. I wouldn't call that fun." She shook her head as she ate the last mouthful of noodles.

"I'm glad you've got a friend," said Ga Eul, already finished with her dinner. "I thought you might be a loner."

"Oh, I _am _a loner," Jan Di deadpanned. One friend didn't make up for years of being set apart from her peers. Ga Eul just blinked in surprise and shook her head.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Jae Kyung asked. Jan Di sighed, staring morosely at the empty bowl in front of her.

"I suppose they'll give me that red card thing."

"What?" Jae Kyung raised an eyebrow, leaning forward in curiosity. "Red card?"

"Yeah, Min Ji explained it to me," Jan Di said, getting up to take the dishes back to the little kitchen. "Apparently once you've been marked by F4, everyone in school gets to use you as target practice and bully you as much as they want."

"Are you serious?" Ga Eul said, looking concerned.

"I know! It's terrible logic."

"Jan Di, what if-"

"It can't be that bad," Jan Di shrugged as she went to drop off the dishes. There was quite a large pile of dirty plates now. The maid who came to check up on them told Jan Di that she would have to wash her own dishes until her father decided she deserved a break. Nothing had motivated her to start scrubbing the nasty food particles off yet.

"Well, it's not that I don't think you can handle it, but what if the paparazzi find out?" Ga Eul said.

"What do you mean?" Jan Di asked slowly. She sat on the vacant chair by the window, glancing to the streets below. Paparazzi. Even in a place like this she might have to worry about press.

"Imagine something really crazy happened. If a reporter got a picture the lead singer of Loveli getting, I don't know, a slushie dumped on them, who knows what would happen."

"Or getting their lunch tray dumped on them," Jae Kyung pointed out. Ga Eul ignored her, focusing on Jan Di, who waved her off.

"I'll be fine. I've promised my dad I wouldn't let anyone know who I was. He said I had to go all six months without my 'star power' or whatever. No one can know, or I'm in deep-"

"Well, we've got your back no matter what," Jae Kyung said, changing her tone of voice to cheerful and effectively ending the conversation. "So who wants to go out tonight?"

_._._

Despite the fact that they had no money and quite a lot of homework, Jae Kyung dragged them to the mall. The older girl had always loved shopping, and Jan Di and Ga Eul didn't mind it either. Jan Di preferred keeping one wardrobe without adding too much, but now that she didn't have her closet with her... Well, it was a different situation. Ga Eul looked lovely in everything she wore, but for some reason was fascinated by the little hand warmer gloves that had the fingertips and thumbs cut off, although she claimed that they looked too silly to wear.

"Jan Di, what do you think guys around here like? Cute style or tom-boy?" Jae Kyung held up two different hangers, displaying the styles.

"Ha?" Jan Di said, confused, pulled from her own thoughts.

"Day dreaming again?" Ga Eul asked.

"I think that you are out of every guy's league. _Every _guy," Jan Di said, taking a seat outside the changing rooms. "They should just be glad they get to look at you."

"Cute style it is! You have great taste," Jae Kyung said, ignoring Jan Di, and disappeared inside to change.

"Are you getting anything?" Jan Di looked up at Ga Eul, who was looking at a big shiny purse.

"I already have enough clothes," Jan Di insisted.

"How about we both get a dress? For formal occasions?"

"Do you think we're going to be invited to any out here," Jan Di asked. She wondered if there might be a school dance. That would be a shopping event all on its own, if what she had seen from TV was true. _Who would I go with_, she mused.

"Just get one! It'll cheer us up." Jan Di hesitated, but grinned and jumped up as Ga Eul dragged her towards the formal wear area.

"By the way Jae Kyung," Ga Eul asked as they checked out. _There goes our emergency money for this week._ _And next week, _Jan Di thought dismally. "Any particular reason that you're picking out an outfit to impress boys?"

"Who said I was?"

"You did." Ga Eul pointed out. There was a silence, and the two younger girls exchanged a look.

"Wow," Jan Di said in surprise, smiling from ear to ear as she noticed Jae Kyung's mischievous smile. "Two days in and she's already got her eye on one. You really move fast."

"Who is it?" Ga Eul pressed, curious.

"I'm _not _telling," Jae Kyung said. Jan Di and Ga Eul gasped and beg but Jae Kyung couldn't give up the power of a secret so quickly. "I don't even know if I really like him yet. I'll have to see if he likes me first and if he's going to ask me out."

"Is he a senior?"

"Yes."

"Is he tall?" Jan Di asked, her suspicion about who it might be stuck onto the only four senior boys she knew; the F4.

"I'm not saying," Jae Kyung stuck out her chin in refusal. The two girls groaned and protested all the way down the street until Jan Di pulled them into a coffee shop. She usually didn't drink caffeine before bed, but the buzz of happiness and the grin that wouldn't drop called for a change in habit. The rush of protecting her friends from harm once again had made her feel something, something very good that she wanted to pursue. She ordered a tea, while Jae Kyung drank coffee and Ga Eul hot chocolate.

"This is the dream life," Ga Eul said. "No schedules."

"Real sleep," Jae Kyung nodded in approval.

"Terrible food and dirty dishes," Jan Di said, nose scrunched up. "What?" She added innocently as she saw they were giving her a sarcastic look.

"Admit it, you liked the ramen noodles," Ga Eul said.

"What?" Jan Di's eyebrows shot up. "Those dried out strips of cardboard?"

"You love them! Ga Eul, you saw the way that she scarfed down the bowl today," Jae Kyung teased. "She even drank straight out of the bowl."

"That doesn't mean- No way-I was just making sure I didn't go to hell for not eating it all, that's all-"

"Everybody! Jan Di loves ramen!" Jae Kyung shouted to the room. A couple sitting at a booth across from them gave them side eye,

"Jae Kyung, now you're really acting like an idiot," Jan Di said, rolling her eyes as she curled her fingers around her cup.

"Don't act so high and mighty. Who came up with the lyric '1-2-4-score?'"

"Hey, it _rhymed!_" She protested, setting her cup down to gesture wildly in indignation.

"Doesn't mean it was _good_."

"Yeah, it really wasn't good," Ga Eul agreed.

"Whose side are you on?" Jan Di said, and the stare down commenced. Jan Di stared at Jae Kyung, and then at Ga Eul, who in turned stared at Jae Kyung as well. Jae Kyung always held her eyebrows in the most ludicrous way, and it only took a second for them to burst into giggles. When Ga Eul burned her tongue on her hot chocolate trying to get to the whipped cream they only laughed at her harder. Strolling home, each complained when it was their turn to hold the bag of purchases, an when they bid each other goodnight they did so by scathingly shoving each other through their doors, cackling in-between empty threats. Jan Di couldn't help feeling grateful that she had such great friends, and decided, as she stared at the closed front door grinning like an idiot, that she would do everything in her power to protect her friends from harm.

_._._

Jan Di woke up the next morning with a strange feeling in her stomach. It wasn't until she reached her locker until she remembered why. One hand on the lock, she paused. This was it. The moment she opened this locker, she would be a target.

Well, she had faced worse.

Sure enough, as the door opened out came floating the red card with a skull on it and the initials _F4. _

"What is this nonsense," she sighed, stomping on the card as people behind her tittered.

"Everybody! Geum Jan Di got the red card!" Jan Di snatched up her textbooks and headed for her first class.

It was only when she saw the doorway to her classroom did she remember who just so happened to be sitting in the seat behind her. She grimaced, trying not to let the thought bother her. What would he do, with the teacher there? She stomped in. She stopped for a moment when her eyes reached the blackboard. Disgusting slurs were written all over it, along with some ridiculous drawings. _Ignore it. _She had dealt with haters before. Walking over to her desk, she was about to take off her bag when she realized that the spot she had sat at for the last two days was gone. There was no desk at all.

"What happened to your desk?" someone said, and a peal of laughter burst out from the crowd lounging around. Jan Di was glad at least that that rock head Gu Joon Pyo wasn't here yet. Min Ji hadn't showed yet either.

_My notebook! _Jan Di's eyes went wide when she noticed her planner with all of her new school information laid on the floor, graffiti scratched across the cover. She reached down to grab it, but it moved. _Moved? _The class erupted again into roars of laughter as she tried again to snatch it up. Someone was obviously pulling it, but no matter how many times she tried to step on the string it just ended in her looking eve. She straightened up, realizing that she had walked straight out of the classroom and towards the garbage can.

_What the... _Her lips pressed together into a tight line as she saw her desk, its surface completely defaced by the students of the school. She didn't even want to read what was written there. Her stomach turned looking at it, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to get back to class. She spun around, leaving the desk where it was. Who needed a desk? She walked with her head held high, as she had always done in middle school and elementary when people called her names. Kids could be cruel.

"Geum Jan Di, sit down." He didn't meet her eye, and the entire class was smirking and giggling. At the back sat the culprit, _Gu Joon Pyo. _He looked uninterested as he messed around on his phone. _So that's it. _The teachers couldn't do anything because of that fowl idiot's mother. Well, then she would have to take what help she could.

"I can't find my desk," she said, smiling pleasantly at the teacher. Adults always liked it if you seemed cheerful, for some reason. "And I don't want to miss the lesson, would it be alright if I sit here?" She didn't wait for an answer as she glided over to the teacher's desk, and took her place at the high backed office chair. There was a moment of silence in the room, but the teacher just shook his head and went back to writing on the black board.

Jan Di could've sang. She had triumphed this first task, and the rest of the class knew it. They glared, and someone threw a gum wrapper at her. She could only turn her smug eyes on the boy in the back, who suddenly seemed possessed with the urge to grind his teeth. He could grind his teeth all day. Gu Joon Pyo would _not _get the better of her.

She lingered after class for a moment to thank her teacher for his generosity, and in the hallway walking to her next class she wondered where Min Ji had gone.

"Heads up!" Someone called, and Jan Di glanced up just as something hard smashed against her head. A cold liquid seeped into her hair. She gasped, shocked, wincing from the impact. It was an egg, and apparently there were more of those where that had come from. She could have sworn that the hallway had been nearly empty, but suddenly there were students everywhere laughing and throwing things at her. Someone flung an open bottle of baby powder while another student stood on a bench and shook the contents of a bag of flour over her head. A bottle of glitter was unleashed, and Jan Di closed her eyes to keep it from damaging anything.

_So this is how this school works, _she thought dismally, trying to walk away from the crowd but being shoved back into the circle. A notebook- _her notebook- _came sailing through the air and she grabbed it before they had a chance to take it back. The cover looked even worse, and now some of the pages inside had writing on it. _Whore. Dumbass. Worthless. Scum. Bitch._

This had happened before. _This has happened before, Jan Di. _She would be fine.

"Is that all you've got?" She said, and her voice resonated in spite of the noise of the crowd. She wasn't a singer for nothing. "Is that all you've got? More! Bring more." There was a pause, but they didn't respond. They continued. More eggs. More flour. She glanced around at the guilty. She recognized many of them- they were her classmates after all. She spotted Ginger, Sunny, and Miranda leaning against a locker, exchanging whispers and grinning like a child in a candy store. They scuttled off, and as Jan Di watched them go, wincing as the egg whites dribbled into the back of her uniform. Her eyes went wide at what she suddenly saw and her heart missed a beat. At the end of the hallway, Min Ji was watching the events unfold, eyes wide. Jan Di opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again when she realized the truth. Min Ji couldn't do anything. Min Ji turned her face away, and ran towards the stairs and out of sight.

_The number of my new friends returns to zero._

_._._

The attack stopped eventually and everybody went back to class. The mess they left would be quite a headache to clean up, but what was worse was her uniform. The eggs had made a sticky mess combined with the flour, baby powder, and glitter. She couldn't go back to class. Her mother's wishes for her to do well would have to wait. She staggered down the stairs, swallowing and taking deep ragged breaths to keep her anger from boiling over. She _knew _she didn't deserve this, but she also knew that she was to blame. Hadn't everyone told her to keep her head down? She wasn't cut out to fit in in this world.

She didn't make it to the bathroom, sinking onto the stairs. "Surrender?" She said aloud to herself. "Surrender." She considered the word, and then said louder, "Surrender my ass! Do you think you can walk all over me? I'm Jan Di." She felt her jaw tighten, and Jan Di sighed as she felt the familiar burn behind her eyes. No, she couldn't be crying. She wouldn't. Not here, anyways. "You messed with the wrong person. This is nothing- this-" she shouted, and then closed her eyes, holding back memories of all the terrible names she had been called all her life for every quality she had. Being an adopted child in a world where blood was everything hadn't been easy, but she thought she had escaped this bullying nonsense. Her insecurities were bubbling up all over again. She knew she wasn't beautiful. She knew she wasn't smart. Is that why they were so eager to hurt her? The ache in her skull made her cross her arms across her chest, one palm pressed to her forehead. Who knew that being egged hurt so much? She tried to pretend the eggs were just cold water. She inhaled again, and her chest shuddered. She was a mess.

Footsteps echoed around her, and she flinched. Why had she stopped here? The stairwell was another perfect place to attack her. "Who's there?" It was only one person, one very tall person who she had to look up to see their face.

"Every time I see you, you are so noisy."

It was Yun Ji Hoo, and her eyes went wide. He must have heard her. _Again. _

"Well I have a right to be," she muttered. "Look at me, I'm... I could be a pancake."

"A pancake?"

"Eggs, flour?" She raised an eyebrow. "That's how you make pancakes, right?"

"Sort of," he said. For a moment they looked at each other, the oddness of this encounter sinking in. The boy took out his handkerchief, and Jan Di stared in surprise as he leaned forward and started dusting off her face.

"I-it's alright I can do it myself you don't have to-" She began quickly, not completely sure why she was trying to stop him from helping her (it was after all his fault). But she shut up when she realized he wasn't going to stop. He took her hand and placed the cloth there, and then continued to walk up the stairs.

"Your handkerchief!" She called, spinning around.

"I don't need it," he said.

"Next time I see you, I'll give to you."

"Next time?" He raised an eyebrow as though the possibility was silly. "I'm avoiding you from now on. You're always disturbing the quiet. Just keep it." With that, Jan Di was left on the stairs clutching the handkerchief with the initials _J H _embroidered onto the corner feeling perplexed.

_._._

_**Ga Eul do you have an extra uniform?**_

_Why? _

_**The game has started**_

_What does that even mean?_

_**It means I'm not giving up and going home. Answer the question**_

_Yeah it's in my locker tho _

_**Really? Thats sort of weird**_

_I ruined one on the first day. It was only a matter of time until we needed a second one. _

_**Sometimes I wonder if you're really that smart of if you've got someone working for you**_

_Do you want it or not?_

_**Yes! **_

_Hang out for a minute the bell is going to ring. _

Jan Di closed her phone and made her way to where her own locker was. She wanted to grab a gym bag for her dirty clothes, but stopped the moment she entered the hallways where her locker was located. Of _course. _These commoners were surprisingly efficient in their destruction. Her locker door was hanging off its hinges, and garbage was cascading onto the floor from inside. She didn't bother even trying to clean it out. It barely had anything important other than her gym stuff in it anyways. She turned heel, heading off to where she knew Ga Eul's locker was. The bell rang, and Jan Di waited patiently, ignoring the stares and snickers until she spotted her friend. She waved, and almost laughed at the way Ga Eul's expression went from serene to bug-eyed.

"Jan Di! What happened?" Ga Eul practically ran, shoving people out of the way and stepping on many toes, earning resentful looks.

"I got the red card this morning, and they've been trying to ruin me all morning," Jan Di explained.

"Unbelievable," Ga Eul hissed as she swiveled the lock on her locker open. She tossed the uniform to Jan Di, and the two girls rushed to the nearest bathroom.

"You'd think that these commoners would have something better to do than carry around eggs to throw at people," Jan Di said as Ga Eul helped clean her hair. The sticky substance had started to smell enough to make her eyes water.

"Maybe they're in league with the kitchen."

"Could be, yeah. That would explain why they don't care about wasting money. I thought commoners were frugal." Putting on the new uniform, she felt like she was equipping herself with battle armor. "Ga Eul, I'm going to give it my best to wait this out."

"Just what I expect from Supergirl." Ga Eul affectionately ruffled Jan Di's wet stringy hair.

"Supergirl?" Jan Di rolled her eyes. "That old nickname. Isn't it time to upgrade to Superwoman?"

_._._

She was shouted at in the hallways, and people threw threatening notes at her in every class. She didn't respond, and nothing big transpired that afternoon. Until she arrived at the pool room.

_How did they even know that I liked swimming? _Jan Di glared at the water, her eyes following the floating pieces of garbage that clouded the surface. No way was she swimming in a pool like this. _And I already changed into my swimsuit... _

She turned to go back to the locker room, but stopped. Her mouth turned to a frown, her hands to fists. Did this count as giving up?

Somehow Jan Di ended up chasing the elusive trash around the pool. She threw them to the side as her feet kept her afloat, feeling vengeance with each exterminated piece of garbage. Never in all her life had she had to clean up trash. It took her a while, but she finally threw the last beat up can of soda out of the pool. Was this what honest work felt like? She swam, the rhythm lulling her into deep thinking mode.

_They can take my desk, I'll find a better one. Ruin my clothes, I'll get new ones. Dirty the pool, I'll clean it up. How long can this continue? _Jan Di reached the end of another lap and began to float on her back, relaxing even though her thoughts were tense. Her stubborn smile seemed to challenge the ceiling above her. _I'll outlast everything you can throw at me. _If they thought they could beat her will, they were dead wrong! _Gu Joon Pyo, you're a dead man._

* * *

**Hello everybody! Thanks for reading! Please write a review about what your thoughts on this chapter! It's 6000 words, 2000 more than my usual. Woo! **

**Let me know what your favorite part was, or tell me what I could do better, or what you liked. I can't wait for the next chapter! I have so much planned for this story and I'm so excited :) so tell me what you think!**

**Coming up:**

**A glimpse from the POV of the boys**

**Nasty rumors spread**

**Jan Di confronts Joon Pyo _again_**

**Jae Kyung likes someone? What? **

**&amp; More!**

**See you next week!**

**Love you guys :)**

**~Laila**


	4. Chapter 4

"I miss my hair curler," Jan Di sighed, running her comb through her straight hair. It was awkward getting ready in the morning with only one mirror. She practiced her faces in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Her room was getting dirty again, but her uniform still looked acceptable. After pulling on her socks, Jan Di glided to the kitchen, doing a few practice dance steps as she hummed one of their old songs. She knew she shouldn't be thinking this, but she missed dance practice. She felt dorky as she balanced on one foot while making coffee.

It had been a whole week since Jan Di had gotten the red card. The attacks had died down after a few days, and she was confident that it was over now. She could go on with her mission here. In her small living room she sat with her coffee in one hand and the flyer for the swim team tryouts in the other hand. _Today was the day._ Her suit was already packed in her backpack, and all she had to do was get through school.

"Jan Di! Let's go!" Ga Eul banged on the door, and Jan Di grinned and sprung up to get her shoes.

"Extra cheerful today?" Ga Eul asked as Jan Di skipped out into the hallway.

"Swim tryouts," Jan Di reminded her, fixing her bag in place.

"You know you have to go to practices, right? And _work_?" Jae Kyung said from behind them.

"Yeah, I know."

"Aren't we here to _not_ work?"

"Maybe you are," Ga Eul said.

"When will I ever be able to compete against other normal high school girls in swimming? Never," Jan Di pointed out. "Now, let's go!"

_._._

"Hey Joon Pyo! Wait up." Joon Pyo paused, waiting for his friends to catch up. The sea of students parted around him as his friends caught up. Yi Jung was saving a girls phone number into his phone- well, Joon Pyo assumed he was, because what other reason was there for it to be out?- and Woo Bin had his wallet out.

"What's up?"

"I'm trying to finally get Woo Bin to pay for the bet. That girl apologized in the end, right?"

"Uh-" Joon Pyo grimaced, annoyed that they were bringing that up. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "_No. _Not yet. I still got- well, just wait one more day."

"See?" Woo Bin happily returned his wallet to his pocket. "You should probably just forget about her," he added as the three of them made their way toward the stairs. "She doesn't seem like the type of girl to give in, you know?"

"Nah, I don't know any girl like that," Joon Pyo huffed.

"You're just saying that because you want to hold on to your cash," Yi Jung said, rolling his eyes. He clapped Joon Pyo on the back. "But yeah, don't get obsessed. You've got a test coming up, don't you?"

"Thinking about responsibilities? Stop that, it's not like you," Joon Pyo said as he rolled his eyes.

They reached the first floor, and stepped out the double doors to cross the quad to the other side of the school.

Joon Pyo took two steps, and then stopped. Standing in the center of the swarm of students was _her, _that stupid witch herself. She was holding her books in her hands, looking down and ignoring the flock of students throwing toilet paper at her. Joon Pyo smirked, and glanced at his two friends beside him. Now was as good a time as any to get her apology. He sneered when he thought about how long he had waited for her to come to him. It was time to end this. When she saw him, she would definitely start begging for forgiveness. He walked towards her casually, acting his best to seem like he hadn't even seen her. It might not be much, but this game he played with people was some of the only entertainment he got in life. It could get exciting enough to distract him from... Well, everything else. It was just so easy to torment people. Especially because it was so addicting to see her make that pissed off face.

About halfway to her, Jan Di spotted him. It would've been a little difficult, to be honest, to _not _see the figure that caused the crowd to part in what could be interpreted as reverence. She glared at him, her throat closing up as she thought of his latest attempt to destroy her. Her mind brought up the image of the disgusting text that had traveled like wildfire across the school- the one claiming that she had been sleeping with a teacher. The rumors had started when she got to school, ruining her belief that it was all over. The suggestion was so vile and petty it literally made her want to throw up. Every fiber of her being had been ignited with hate for that _damn _Gu Joon Pyo! She would give him what he deserved once and for all, even if it got her kicked out.

"You!" She spat the word, and her voice carried through the crowd. The circle went silent, but she didn't take her eyes off of his stupid face. She hated everything about him from his dumb curly hair to his stupid shoes.

"Speak of the devil," He said, glancing at his friends, before smirking. "You ready to apologize, I see," he said, cocking his head. _He's so arrogant! _Jan Di felt something boil over in her, a feeling of wrath she could not describe. She took a deep breath, focusing her rage into her words.

"I'm not going to quietly tolerate this anymore," she said. She didn't break eye contact with him the entire time, and took a step closer to him. He was only a stride away now, and it irritated her how she had to look slightly up to meet his eye. "The outcome isn't going to pretty if you keep doing this."

"Huh?" He sneered, crossing his arms. "Is this how idiots apologize? It's really not translating well."

"I don't believe it's the victim's responsibility to apologize to the culprit," she retorted, taking a step forward in anger. She wanted to throw something! Her eyes caught on the dirty rags that a student had just thrown into her arm, and she whipped them up and pelted them at Joon Pyo's stupid face as hard as she could. He swatted them away, and his jaw clenched in anger.

"Excuse me?" he said incredulously.

"You heard me."

"You're not going to apologize?"

"Of course I'm not, you block head!" Jan Di hollered, her eyes screwing up in anger as she saw red.

"What did you call me?" He snapped, his voice rising. He moved closer, and Jan Di backed up to avoid having him in her face.

"I'm not going to put up with it any longer," Jan Di said. She let the books fall out of her arms as her fists popped up defensively and her feet set into a fighting stance. She thought of all the possible outcomes of what she was about to do. But her pride was screaming like a cat with its tail stepped on, and she was never going to win a battle with it.

"What are you doing?" Joon Pyo sounded genuinely confused, and stopped walking towards her. The people around them collectively held their breath. The drama in this school was coming to a head, and no one was going to miss a moment of it for the world.

"I told you. I'm not going to take it anymore!" She shouted. "I've had enough. I've told you very clearly!" Her chest heaved once, and she let out a battle cry before unleashing her strike. She spun, jumped, and threw her kick as hard as she possibly could. The crowd gasped as it hit its mark, and Jan Di landed with a feeling of triumph.

Joon Pyo fell to the ground, utterly shocked and (she hoped) in some pain. She thanked her luck for letting her remember how not to fall on her face. She may not have been a master at martial arts, but she certainly remembered that move. She had the upper hand now, and the words that had been storming inside her head without a place to go suddenly flew out of her mouth.

"Did you see me sleeping with any man?" She stepped forward in emphasis, and Joon Pyo jumped and sat up. "Did you even see me holding hands with a guy? How dare you spread such disgusting rumors!" Her words were catching on her disgust, but she continued as though she couldn't stop, her entire body trembling in rage and hurt. "Rumors like that about a girl who is chaste and pure and hasn't even had her first kiss yet!" Not to mention that these rumors, in the wrong hands, could destroy her career and everything she had worked to be seen as. "You..." She stomped towards him, and snatched up the dirty rags that had fallen next to where Joon Pyo was sitting. She threw it over his face, and from the crowd a laugh drummed up. "If you keep up these filthy tricks, I'll really kill you then," she said finally. She probably would regret ending it there, but her job was done. Accompanying her final threat, the bell rang shrilly. The crowd scurried away like bugs under a light, and Jan Di grabbed her books and walked back to class, her heart rate oddly slow for someone who had just completed a battle with her arch enemy.

_That bastard better leave me alone now, _she thought to herself. _Or I'll have to bring out the big guns._

__._.__

Joon Pyo sat in the back of class in a daze. He had sat away from Yi Jung and Woo Bin, who hadn't stopped laughing and teasing him from the moment he had stood up after the... attack. His fingers brushed his cheek over the place where the kick had made contact. His heart couldn't stop beating like crazy, and he didn't know why. The image of her shouting and shaking wormed its way into his thoughts as he tried to concentrate on his studies. A nagging feeling was eating at the back of his mind which he suspected was guilt. He grimaced at the thought of actually feeling any type of remorse, and tried to ignore the sensation to the best of his ability.

He couldn't focus for the rest of class, which only made him more annoyed. He couldn't stop thinking about Geum Jan Di... Because she was so rude! And because he was so mad. Definitely not for any other reason.

It had actually surprised him when she had said that she hadn't had her first kiss yet. Of course, mostly because most girls he knew had had a boyfriend already, but also because... Well, she may have been an idiot, but he wasn't so crass as to deny that she was beautiful. In an odd way. Something about her face when she was shouting at him was just...

Joon Pyo shoved these thoughts away as hard as he could, replacing them with something else, _anything_ else. He struggled for an idea for how to get back at her, but his heart wasn't in it. After the stunt he had pulled today, he didn't feel like anything worse would be fair in this fight. And he was nothing if not a classy, fair gentleman. Yes, that was absolutely the only reason he would stop harassing her. His confusion as to why he wanted to pull her into his arms until she stopped shaking had nothing to do with it. Besides, it was getting boring.

_._._

The tryouts for the swim team were not packed, but there were enough people there to make Jan Di wonder if perhaps she wouldn't measure up in the end. Her worries melted away as she dove into her element. The coach, a young woman who was a new teacher, praised her butterfly stroke, and she was beaming by the time she stepped back into the locker room.

A couple of girls who walked by her gave her the stink eye, but she ignored them. A few other girls in the locker room introduced themselves.

"Looks like you've made it on the team," said a tall girl with wide eyes and curvy hips. Jan Di smiled back.

"I hope so," Jan Di replied, glad that they weren't treating her like she had some type of disease. "It's actually my first time playing a sport."

"Really? I don't know what I would do without competition," said another girl with red dyed hair and arching eyebrows, balancing precariously on one foot as she pulled her sock on. She nearly fell over, but the girl behind her gave a shove, and the red haired girl fell onto the bench instead. "Get lost, Mina," she snapped at the girl who had pushed her. Mina rolled her eyes, slamming her locker shut and taking out her phone.

"Jan Di, is it?" said Mina. Jan Di ignored the way Mina's eyes scanned Jan Di from head to toe. "I heard something about you getting pregnant?" Jan Di's eyes flashed to the girl's phone and her face started feeling warm with anger. She would never forgive that damn Joon Pyo for playing with her honor like that.

"No, that's just a rumor," Jan Di said.

"Yeah, Mina, get with the times," said the tall girl, packing her swimsuit away into a sports bag. "Didn't you hear about the fight this morning?"

"I saw it," the red haired girl announced, grinning as she stared the embarrassed Jan Di down. "You throw a really nice kick! He was practically going to wet himself."

"Thanks," Jan Di said, feeling bashful at the praise. She started putting on her shoes.

"Who?" Mina asked.

"Gu Joon Pyo."

"Are you serious?" Mina gaped, looking furiously at Jan Di. "What- why-"

"He was the one spreading the lies of me getting pregnant," Jan Di said as she shut the locker door. "We've been in a little bit of a fight, and I just couldn't stand to lose." Mina frowned, but the other two girls grinned.

"Looks like you're pretty competitive after all," the red haired girl chirped.

"Speaking of competition," The tall girl leaned against the lockers, waiting for her friends to finish. "Are you guys entering the talent show?"

"What talent show?" Jan Di asked. Her heart skipped a beat. Performance? Could it be?

"We have an annual talent show to display the students' talents. It's a variety of things," the tall girl explained. "It's _huge_\- at least half the school will try out for something or other."

"Can we do groups?" Jan Di asked slowly. She would have to carefully think about this, but right now her heart was singing with the idea of being able to perform again. She was feeling so out of practice it made her numb.

"Anything you want to do, they'll consider," said the tall girl. "Why? You've got something to show?"

"Well..." Jan Di looked at the three faces. "I sing."

"Really?" The red head frowned.

"You're going to be going against the Jin-Sun-Mi," Mina warned her.

"They've been planning on being the headliner performance again like they were last year," the red haired girl explained.

Well, if Jan Di had any qualms about trying out for the talent show they vanished as soon as she heard that _those _girls would be trying out as well. Perhaps she was more competitive than she thought...She _had _to get Ga Eul and Jae Kyung to perform with her.

_._._._

"No!" Ga Eul stubbornly walked a little ahead of Jan Di and Jae Kyung. She refused point blank to participate in some frivolous talent show.

"Please!" Jan Di begged. "It will be so much fun, and you _love _dancing."

"Don't you think that we'll have our cover blown if we do something as outrageous as that?" Ga Eul said.

"She has a point," Jae Kyung said.

"No one will recognize us," Jan Di said, rolling her eyes. "Don't you think they would have noticed before now? We're not that popular after all, girls."

"We've been on the radio," Ga Eul pointed out. "And they will definitely be able to tell when they put two and two together."

"Jae Kyung, what do you think?" Jan Di asked, begging for some support.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jae Kyung said after a moment, shrugging. Her hands were folded behind her head as she stared up at the setting sun. The sky over the city was illuminated scarlet, and Jan Di's damp hair was starting to become a little too cold for comfort. They had decided to walk so that they could get in some exercise. They were surrounded by the whirring of a city that didn't notice them at all.

"What do you mean by that?" Ga Eul asked carefully. Jae Kyung glanced down at her. They had stopped walking at the intersection. The sign to stop was flashing, and the girls glanced at the fish shaped fountain they were stopped beside. Jae Kyung took a penny out and flipped it into the basin.

"If we're found out, our punishment might be lifted in order for us to escape whatever might happen. Our parents are paranoid like that. Even if they don't- well, what's the harm in having a couple of people get intimidated by the fact that you're a pop sensation? Doesn't seem like a bad thing to me."

"I-" Ga Eul stuttered, and the other two girls could see that she was thinking over the prospect carefully. "But isn't this supposed to be giving us a break from the star life?"

"We'll still be going to school, and we'll still be out of a job for the time being. I'd called that a break." They waiting for her answer.

"Please?" Jan Di asked one final time.

"I don't know... I kind of like being a nobody for once." Ga Eul tried to make it sound like a joke, but Jan Di heard sadness beneath it. Jan Di placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"Ga Eul. I solemnly swear that we will not be discovered." Jan Di waited for the final answer. "Plus, tons of boys will be falling all over you." Ga Eul laughed and shoved Jan Di away.

"As if I care about that._ Alright_," Ga Eul finally sighed, but a smile finally peeked out at the corner of her lips. Jan Di cheered and hugged both girls just as the street light changed to walk. The three strode arm in arm down the avenue. "But," Ga Eul warned, "We aren't doing any of our songs, got it!"

"Ga Eul, you can pick _whatever _song you like," Jan Di said, ruffling Ga Eul's hair.

_._._

The next day people gave Jan Di a wide berth in the hallway, not looking directly at her as they skirted around her personal bubble. It was a completely different treatment than the day before. Was it finally going to be normal?

"Let's go see," Ga Eul said.

"See what?" Jan Di asked as the three girls closed their lockers.

"The swim team," Ga Eul said in exasperation. Jan Di's gasped dramatically, eyes shooting wide open. She had been so caught up in thinking about the talent show that she had forgotten what had actually led to her deciding to audition.

"Come on!" She grabbed their hands and rushed down the hallway. People stared as they ran past, their shining black shoes tapping furiously. "Here!" Jan Di dragged them to a halt outside of the gym doors, Ga Eul stumbling into her and nearly knocking her over. There was only a few minutes before the bell would send them rushing back to their desks. Jan Di breathlessly scanned the list.

"Here_," _Jae Kyung rushed, pointing furiously, "_Geum Jan Di, _that's you!" The two girls clapped and shouted with excitement as Jan Di pumped the air with her fist, her face shining with joy as she grinned from ear to ear.

"Great job," Ga Eul said for the fifth time, and they automatically wrapped Jan Di up in a tight hug, picking her up off the floor.

"Thanks," Jan Di said, unsure what to do with all the bubbling excitement going on inside her heart.

"I'm proud of you," Jae Kyung said, ruffling Jan Di's hair. Jan Di smiled again, taking a step back to straighten her appearance.

"Thanks," she said again. As she spoke, the bell rang overhead. Ga Eul's eyes went wide as she realized she was late.

"See you at lunch!" She sped around the corner, leaving the other two girls smiling in her wake.

"I wonder why she's in such a rush," Jae Kyung hummed thoughtfully.

"You know her," Jan Di shrugged, turning to grin at her friend one last time.

"Maybe. I'm going to think about this for a little bit." Jan Di raised an eyebrow at Jae Kyung's suspiciously smug expression before bidding goodbye and skipping back to class.

_._._

Ga Eul slid into her seat, cringing as her teacher reprimanded her. Her eyes flashed around the room, ears going red at the sound of sniggers. She couldn't help her gaze lingering on the boy sitting a few seats in front of her, talking a pretty girl through technique while the girl gazed adoringly at him._ So Yi Jung._ She frowned, her heart doing something unfamiliar and unwanted. _Ignore it, _Ga Eul told herself, although she wasn't quite sure exactly what she was trying to ignore. Was it the fact that he was so good looking it was offensive? Or the way that her thoughts rested on him when she wasn't monitoring them? _Give it up. _She had learned her lesson about chasing things she shouldn't have. Glancing away, she sighed. The lump of clay on her desk looked cold and was fated to only become awkward in her hands. Her lack of skill was magnified by her acute awareness of _that guy's_ perfectly formed piece. Seriously, how was that even possible? She bitterly pulled her own clay towards her and began to work.

"Chu Ga Eul," A voice from behind spooked her, and the careful formation of the clay was jacked up by her shaking hand. She spun around to face whoever it was.

"Sunbae?" She recognized the boy immediately. She had seen him talking to Yi Jung before, which could only mean they were friends. Jan Di had told her that they only hung out with each other, those F4 boys.

"Nice to meet you. Mind if I join you?" He didn't wait for an answer, just dragged the stool out next to her and perched on it, resting his feet at the bar on the bottom of her chair. She leaned back, unnerved. Did he have no idea about personal space?

"Do you need something from me?" Ga Eul asked, blinking in confusion. He smiled, leaning his hand on the table and nodding.

"I need a phone number." _Oh please don't tell me he's flirting with me, _Ga Eul thought in embarrassment. She hated feeling so awkward.

"Well, get yourself a phone then," she said, trying to get him to leave her alone.

"No," he grinned. "I need the phone number of your friend." Ga Eul's eyes narrowed. _Of course_ he would only be talking to her for someone else's phone number.

"Whose?"

"Ha Jae Kyung." Ga Eul bit her lip thoughtfully. She was more than aware that Jae Kyung was chasing someone. There was rarely a time she didn't have her heart devoted to somebody. It hadn't turned out well in the past, and judging by this sunbae's actions and attitude, he wasn't much good for her either. Casanovas were trouble, the kind of trouble that could ruin a pure-hearted person like Jae Kyung.

"Why?" She asked instead, eyes turned away to where her hands were nervously mashing her clay back into a lump.

"We're playing a little game." Ga Eul brushed back her hair, irritated. That was not the right answer.

"I don't even know who you are. Why should I do it?"

"Oh," he said, dramatically smacking his forehead. "I haven't even introduced myself properly. I'm Song Woo Bin. If you give me her phone number, I'll owe you a favor."

"A favor?" Ga Eul couldn't help her mind coming up with a ludicrous plot to set herself up with So Yi Jung through his friend. She squashed the clay in her hand. "Anything?"

"Within reason," he said after a moment. "But yeah."

Ga Eul pursed her lips thoughtfully. Then she held out her hand. Woo Bin looked at it in confusion, and after a moment gave her a high-five. Ga Eul rolled her eyes.

"Your phone," She said, grinning despite herself. Woo Bin was certainly an interesting character, if nothing else. He laughed, thanked her, and handed her the phone.

"If you do anything to hurt her," Ga Eul said, her eyes flashing in warning as she punched the numbers in, "There will be nothing that can stop me from destroying you."

"Alright, I got it," he said, feigning fear.

"I'm not joking," she snapped, huffing in exasperation. He just grinned. After another word of thanks, she shooed him away and returned to work. She had the feeling that this trouble with Woo Bin and Jae Kyung would become much more complicated before it became simple. Trying to ignore Yi Jung's clear laugh that reached her through the sound of talking students, she pushed her unwanted feelings away with each press of clay.

* * *

**Hello everyone**

**I LIVEEEEEE!**

**The original reason I didn't post this chapter for so long was because I was discouraged at my last chapter not getting any reviews. It really broke my heart. When it finally did get a review (Thank you so much for the person who did I really love you), I was too caught up with watching Love Live!, finishing college apps, taking my ACT, summer camps, etc. This week, I finished watching Heirs, my third drama of all time and I couldn't help feeling nostalgic for this story. I might write one for The Heirs also. **

**I'll try and update every week. I'm a busy senior, so it might not always happen, but I'll definitely not cry myself to sleep if you leave a comment and show support.**

** I cannot stress how important it is for authors to receive feedback on their work. Even if its not for me, I encourage you to leave comments on EVERYTHING you read and like. I mean literally EVERYTHING! A strong community is essential for authors who are doing this in their free time.**

**Love you all! Look forward to the next chapter soon!**

**~Laila **


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning (just in case): Brief mention of selling drugs**

* * *

Jan Di was hopelessly lost. And it was all her fault. _Just like everything is, _she thought, the circumstances that lead to this point running in circles around her head.

_The phone rang. Who could be calling her? There were barely anyone who knew about this phone number._

_"Hello?" Jan Di answered, not recognizing the number. The voice on the other end was unmistakable. "Omma?"_

_Her heart sank as she realized that her mother was not calling to check on how she was doing. No, as a chairwoman of an amazing company this could not be anything less than a professional meeting. It only took a moment to figure out it was an attack. _

_"Jan Di. Do I really have to tell you?" Jan Di went silent as her mother's sharp tone began to ramble about all the events that had been happening over the past few days. Jan Di should've realized that her mother would be watching. She even knew about the egging incident. _

_"That's not all," Her mother continued. "You dare to join the swim team despite knowing how I feel about you continuing that sport? Are you trying to ignore what your father and I want for you?" Jan Di's hand tightened around the phone, and her lip trembled. _

_"No, Omma," she said quietly. _

_"Then quit! Focus on your school, because at the rate you're going, you'll end up needing it after you've ruined everything we've planned for you. You've already brought enough shame on me. I'm hanging up." _

Jan Di sank onto a bench, unable to relax completely in public as a force of habit. She looked dismally at the ground. A piece of gum had stuck to the bottom of her sneaker.

As if it was _her _fault that she was in this mess. She dug her gummy toe into the ground, thinking angry things to distract her from the stinging in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop it from trembling, and took a deep breath. After finishing the phone conversation, she had left her apartment without her phone, unwilling to be anywhere near the device that had delivered such bad news.

And it was costing her. Two hours later, she was surrounded by unfamiliar shops and no matter which turn she took through the twisted streets, she couldn't find anything familiar. She sighed again, this time in desolation. _Great job, getting yourself stuck here. _She couldn't believe her luck.

"Hey," came a voice from behind her. "What are you doing around here?" _Oh no. _Jan Di didn't want that voice to belong to who she thought it did, but she had to turn around and check.

It was Gu Joon Pyo. Of course, because the universe just _had _to throw this stupid greasy guy her way. He was ludicrously tall next to her sitting on the bench. She didn't like it.

"It's a public place, isn't it," she snapped, sneering immediately.

"I usually sit there," he said after a moment. He narrowed his eyes.

"Does it have your name on it?" Jan Di snapped, turning back to face the street and crossing her arms. While he was behind her, she quickly blinked away any of the remaining moisture in her eyes.

"It might as well! And you've lived here for, what, a week?" She didn't look back at him and he didn't move. After a moment, he sat down at the other edge of the bench.

"What are you doing?" She snapped. She scooted away, perching on the opposite edge of the bench. Really, for all her bad luck, she had to run into the one bench that 'had his name on it.' What kind of…

"I'm sitting," he said tersely. She didn't respond. Her chest was starting to feel tight at the awkwardness of the situation. Sparing a glance his way, she noticed he had a bruise on his face about where she had kicked him the previous day. Her immediate reaction of satisfaction was replaced with guilt when she realized he really wasn't going to bother her anymore.

They sat like that for a few minutes. She flinched when he stood up and started walking away without a word.

_That's strange. _She watched him walk away, and he kicked a rock on the sidewalk with unwarranted anger. She frowned. It looked like he was dealing with his own issues. Guess it was just the luck of Wednesdays.

It wasn't until he was almost out of sight that she came to a realization: First, the sun was going down. Second, if she was running into Gu Joon Pyo, she must be further than she could imagine from her apartment, since she knew that he walked home in an opposite direction from her when they were at school (and she didn't even want to think about why she had been watching him walk home. It had just happened.) and finally, she still had no money, no cell phone, and Ga Eul and Jae Kyung didn't know where she was. She was damned if she ended up stranded out on the cold street.

She shook her hands together nervously, struggling to make up her mind. Gu Joon Pyo was already a few blocks away, she would have to run to catch up with him. _How could I run after _him_?! _The thought was almost as unappealing as staying out on the streets all night long.

"Ah, swallow your pride you stupid girl," she hissed to herself, somehow feeling like it was her mother telling her those words. Before she could change her mind, she jumped up and her feet hit the pavement running. She swerved through average walkers in order to catch up.

_Damn his long legs. _He didn't seem to be getting any closer. She sped up, flat out running, barely making it through the intersection before the light turned green. He didn't notice her.

"Hey!" she shouted. He didn't turn. She was almost upon him, and she skidded to a halt, stretching a hand out to stop him. At the last moment, he turned to look at her, and her hand went right past him, causing her to become unbalanced and-

"Ahh," Jan Di hissed in pain as she fell flat out on the concrete.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jan Di groaned, glaring as she heard Joon Pyo scoff. She felt her hands stinging from where they had collided with the concrete.

"I need to ask you something," she said, moving back off the ground.

"So annoying," he said. She glared at him, picking pieces of dirt out of the scratches. "What?"

Slowly, she got back to her feet, rolling her eyes when he didn't offer her any help. "Can I borrow your phone?" she muttered sullenly. He blinked.

"My phone?" He repeated. "Why? Lost yours?"

"Something like that," she said, gingerly blowing on her palms.

"No," he said, and turned around and continued walking.

"Hey! Stop," Jan Di called, shuffling after him, indignant. "How dare you leave me like this!"

"Like what?" He sneered. "It's not like it's _my _fault."

"I need your phone!" She shouted, about to stamp her foot like a little child. He stared down at her, unaffected.

"Why?" He asked again, crossing his arms. Jan Di went silent. She could feel her ears growing red even before she said the words.

"I'm lost," she muttered. He leaned down towards her, his face just a foot away from hers.

"Didn't catch that, could you say that again?" he asked. She glared again, before spitting out "I'm lost!"

"Ah." He stood back up and shrugged. "Well I don't have my phone on me." For a moment, Jan Di stared in bewilderment. How could he not have his phone on him! The slim chance that she ran into anyone she knew, and it had to be ruined by the even more slim chance that neither of them had a cell phone. _If only I hadn't been so stupid. _

"Oh," she said, unsure how to continue. She shot him another glare.

"Yah, don't look at me like that. It's not _my _fault you're lost," he snapped. "We're near my friend's house. I can take you there so you can call someone to pick you up, alright?"

"Really?" she said, unintentionally letting slip how relieved she was. The boy that had showed her nothing but vengeful bullying would now have to be depended on the get her back to her house. She didn't like it at all. Crossing her arms, ignoring the way they still stung, she brought her chin up primly. "Lead the way."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't think we're friends or something now, alright?" He shook his head and started walking away. Jan Di almost tripped over herself trying to keep up with his long legs.

They walked- well, he walked and she nearly jogged- in silence, rounding a corner away from the main street and entering a street filled with tightly packed apartment buildings. Joon Pyo came to a stop, and Jan Di almost ran into his back.

"This is his building," he said. Jan Di realized that this was probably one of the F4. She wondered who.

Joon Pyo grabbed her bloodier hand and held it out in front of her.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he reached into his pocket for something. He didn't bother to look at her as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it around her hand.

"Ji Hoo would give me a hard time if he thought I wasn't taking care of someone correctly. Don't take this as a good deed," he warned, tucking the handkerchief into a knot. She nodded dumbly, watching the white cloth begin to turn red.

"I'll get you another one..." He turned to begin walking up the stairs, and she followed. On the first landing, she continued, "But what kind of a guy carries around handkerchief? What kind of gentleman are you pretending to be?" She rolled her eyes when she didn't get a response. She huffed, before her mind grew curious again. Which one of his friends was Ji Hoo?

Joon Pyo stopped at a door, raising his hand to knock. She waited expectantly, but he lowered his hand after a moment.

"Yah, what are you waiting for?" She grumbled. He sighed, raising his hand again. She was pacing, trying to keep her legs warm. Before he could knock, the door flew open.

"Goodbye- ah? Gu Joon Pyo?" A girl stood in the doorway. Joon Pyo lowered his hand quickly, his face showing his evident surprise.

"Min Seo Hyun? Why are you here?" He asked, stunned. Jan Di almost gasped- Min Seo Hyun? _The _Min Seo Hyun? There was no way! Another look at the girl's face confirmed it- her father's family friend, Min Seo Hyun, the supermodel. They had met before- that was why her face had been so familiar. _Ah_! What was she going to do?

Seo Hyun didn't notice her at all. She was grinning ear to ear as she looked at Joon Pyo, complimenting him on mundane things like how tall he was getting.

"Who's this?" Seo Hyun turned to Jan Di, who quickly looked down.

"Hello," Jan Di mumbled, for once grateful that Joon Pyo was talking over her.

"She's no one, she just needed to use the phone."

"Ah, I see." Jan Di breathed a sigh of relief when Seo Hyun's gaze diverted from her. "Well, I've got to go. Ji Hoo is inside." And with a graceful word of goodbye, she strolled away. Jan Di's eyes followed her. Her flawless makeup and outfit and incomparable beauty seemed out of place in this mundane neighborhood. Jan Di sighed.

"What's gotten into you?" Joon Pyo commented, sounding a little nervous. "She's just a friend. Don't think too much about it."

_There's no way he doesn't know she's a model, _she thought sullenly as he walked through the door. The last time Jan Di had seen Seo Hyun, the older girl had told her she wouldn't have any time for her anymore and Jan Di had dumped her drink on her. It was definitely better that they didn't come face to face just yet.

The house was cozy. It was clean, neat, filled with family memorabilia. The kitchen was separated from the main living room through a paper screen door. Sitting on the floor holding a guitar with a music book in front of him was-

_Ah. That guy. It seems like today is my unlucky day for encounters. _The blond boy from the music store- the boy who also happened to be in her music class, and whom she happened to owe an umbrella to- pulled out the guitar pick from his teeth and nodded hello.

"Need something?" He asked. His eyes went between Joon Pyo and Jan Di, and Jan Di knew he was calculating the possible reasons she was here.

"Yo, Ji Hoo. This nuisance needs to use your phone. I'm sure she'll pay you for it."

"Well, actually I don't have any money on me right now," Jan Di stuttered. She shot a glare at Joon Pyo. Was this what commoners were like? Always asking for money? Her nose wrinkled.

Ji Hoo nodded, and pointed over to the table. She smiled and thanked him, before going to look for the phone.

"Ga Eul?" Jan Di sighed in relief when her friend picked up on the first ring. "I need your help..." As she talked, Joon Pyo sat down next to Ji Hoo and took out his homework. Jan Di finished her phone call and hung up the phone, settling down on the floor opposite the two seniors. She didn't realize she was staring at Joon Pyo until he looked up and met her eyes.

"What?" he snapped. Her eyes narrowed in a glare. _He's always so rude. _

"I didn't realize someone as stupid as you still did their homework," she spat. She crossed her arms. "And why do you have so many textbooks?" she asked, noticing that there were at least twice as many workbooks as was necessary.

He rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business, you stupid weed."

"Tch," Jan Di grumbled, before she took a seat. She sat cross-legged, feeling suddenly awkward as no one talked. Joon Pyo completely ignored her, his pencil flying unnaturally quickly through math problems. Maybe he wasn't as dumb as she thought. Ji Hoo, on the other hand, continued playing guitar as he had before. Jan Di thought he was actually pretty good, knowing what she did about music. She grinned when he started to play one of her favorite songs.

"What are you smiling at," Joon Pyo asked suddenly. Her smile flopped off her face.

"I happen to like that song," she said, before turning back to Ji Hoo. "But I think you got one of the chords wrong. Can I try?" she asked, holding her hand out for the instrument. Ji Hoo looked at her for a moment.

"No."

_Oh. _Jan Di's smile froze up, and she felt awkward all over again. She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms uncomfortably.

"You'd get blood on it," he said, staring pointedly at her scraped up palm. He set aside his guitar and stood up. She watched him as he walked to the kitchen and returned with a box of bandaids. He pulled out a few, and she smiled and held out her hand.

"Could you put them on for me?" She asked. He nodded, opening one large one and gently wrapping it across her palm. She winced every time the cuts were touched, but she distracted herself with the observation that they were close enough that she could smell his cologne. And it smelled pretty nice.

"Hey, stop bothering my friend," Joon Pyo snapped, pushing her back and snatching the bandaids out of Ji Hoo's hands.

"What are you doing," Jan Di shouted, affronted. Ji Hoo just shook his head at Joon Pyo and went back to his guitar. Joon Pyo roughly grabbed her hand and smacked a smaller bandaid over the cut on her finger. "Hey! That hurts," she said.

"Your fault you fell. You're lucky that you get a bandaid at all, so stop complaining." As soon as he finished putting the last bandaid, she wrenched her hand out of his grip and stood up.

"It's your fault anyways, you bastard," she said.

"If you're going to be ungrateful, then why don't you go wait in the street for your car," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine!" she stomped to the door, stuffed her feet into her shoes, and was about to swing the door open when someone knocked on it. She glanced at Ji Hoo and Joon Pyo, who hadn't reacted, before just shouting _Screw it. _She swung the door open like an angry toddler, but stopped when she saw who it was.

"You're not Ji Hoo," said the boy. It was the other two F4 guys, one holding a large bag of snacks. Just her luck, running into all four of her least favorite people. She stalked past them, beyond the point of caring any longer. She didn't care how cold it was outside, she would rather freeze to death waiting for the car then spend one moment with that horrible bunch.

"Yo, yo, yo," Woo Bin called out as he came into the room, swinging the bag of snacks a little too enthusiastically. Joon Pyo and Ji Hoo looked up.

"Finally," Ji Hoo said, and raised his hand. Woo Bin threw the bag, but it ended up hitting Ji Hoo in the face.

"Whoops! Sorry," he said, flopping down on the ground and not sounding sorry at all.

"What was that girl doing here?" Yi Jung asked, taking off his shoes before dropping his backpack beside Joon Pyo's little circle of homework.

"Making a nuisance of herself," Joon Pyo said, shaking his head in annoyance. Yi Jung grinned, knowing full well that Joon Pyo was sensitive about anything that came to that girl. His grin faltered as he sat down next to Joon Pyo.

"What happened to your face?" He asked, reaching forward and pulling the bag of snacks away from Ji Hoo, who had already taken his chips.

"What?" Joon Pyo asked. Yi Jung gestured to his own cheekbone, and Joon Pyo looked down. "Oh. It was my mom, again. We got in a fight."

"What happened?" Woo Bin asked, rolling off of his back to look at his friend. Joon Pyo shrugged.

"She found out I was selling her Xanax."

"Oh. How did she find out?"

"I don't know," Joon Pyo said, shrugging. "I'll just have to figure some other way to get money now."

"Mm."

"She practically conned it out of the doctor anyways," Joon Pyo said dismally, staring at the ceiling. His entire day had fallen to shit. He truly hated his mother sometimes, especially her desperation to be in control and self-medicate. The bruise on his cheek from her backhand still stung. The guys were quiet, and Ji Hoo began to practice again. Woo Bin and Yi Jung shared a glance before Woo Bin shrugged and rolled back onto his position that made him look like a floor rug, and pulled out his phone. Joon Pyo tried to think of something else, _anything _else, to take his mind off of the topic. He started working on the piles of homework again. His mind wandered to that irritating girl, Geum Jan Di. The last thing he had expected was to find her crying on a bench. Honestly, the whole experience was strange. What kind of a coincidence was it that she just happened to be on his way and on the bench outside the ramyun restaurant that he usually sat at?

Yi Jung made them dinner. He was good at everything, or so they teased him. After they ate, they lounged around and talked about school and soccer and Ronaldo losing the Ballon d'Or to Messi.

"It's so obvious," Joon Pyo announced at a lull in the conversation. He had been strangely quiet for the past couple of minutes, and his friends exchanged looks when he finally outed what he had been thinking of.

"What?" Woo Bin asked.

"I was thinking it was strange that she didn't respond to my usual charismatic persuasion," he said knowingly. Yi Jung raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"You're talking about Geum Jan Di?"

"Of course I am," Joon Pyo scoffed. "It all makes sense."

"I'm still confused," Woo bin said. Joon Pyo smiled, eyes still looking lost in thought.

"The 'Wonder Girl' is acting so mad at me because she likes me. Obviously," Joon Pyo said, clapping his hands together in success.

"In what world, exactly?" Ji Hoo said from his spot on the floor.

"Don't you see," Joon Pyo explained, rolling up to a sitting position. "A strong no means a yes. That explains why she was so angry at the rumors. She even told me she hadn't had her first kiss yet," he said.

"And that means she likes you because...?" Woo Bin prodded, squinting in incomprehension.

"She told me because she wants me to be her first," Joon Pyo explained in satisfaction.

"_Right_." Yi Jung and Woo Bin exchanged a look that said quite clearly _he's delusional _and started laughing_. _Joon Pyo had grown too enamored by his fantasy to notice or care.

"I'm impressed," Yi Jung said, clapping the smitten boy on the shoulder. "You've really outdone yourself."

"I can proudly call you a genius now," Woo Bin said. "Man, its nice being friends with someone so smart."

"Thanks," Joon Pyo said. Woo Bin rolled his eyes.

"Now all that's left to do is for you to tell her you know and see how it goes," Woo Bin said. Joon Pyo blinked and sat up straighter.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He asked genuinely. Woo Bin kept his straight face, but Yi Jung had to use his hands to smother his laughter at Joon Pyo's complete absurdity.

"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Woo Bin said.

"I'm against it," Ji Hoo chimed in.

"Maybe I will," Joon Pyo mused. "Just to see the look on her face."

"I'm sure it'll be worth it," Yi Jung said. "Tell me how it goes, would ya?"

* * *

**Hello my dearest readers!  
****A big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I love you!  
This chapter was a little shorter than usual. Yesterday was the one year anniversary for this story, and I really wanted to post something to celebrate. I apologize profusely for posting so rarely. I'll do my best to get the next part up soon!**

**Good news is I got tix for the EXO concert B) that also got me in the mood to write. Almost died getting them, but here I am.**

**Enjoy your winters!**

**~Laila**


	6. Chapter 6

**Back at it again. **

**Sorry for the wait! I had this stewing for a while but it'll never be perfect so here you all go. **

**Due to popular request, we moved a little away from Jan Di in this chapter for a moment. **

* * *

Ga Eul pressed the space bar on her laptop. The music pounding through her headphones ceased, and she sighed. Nothing could take her mind to another place like music. She remembered the day her older brother had installed the top class mixer for her and she had slept through the first two periods of school the next day because she hadn't slept all night. Electronic music would never be as popular as the pop songs that she made with Loveli, but her heart wouldn't let it go. Feet resting on the corner of the desk, she sluggishly rearranged the bassline, replaying the same four measure segment over and over...

Pause. Rearrange. Yes, that was it, _that _was something good. Ga Eul put her feet down, smiling as she saved the file. Five seconds could mean the difference between mediocre and magnificent, and she was definitely much more comfortable producing something magnificent.

It was far from done. But she doubted it would take too long before her awkward life pushed her back to the soundboard. It wasn't a stress reliever, but composing put her thoughts in order nonetheless.

Light footsteps in the hallway made her toss her headphones down and get up. She had been waiting to talk to Jan Di, wanting to ask her about her plan for the talent show. Not that Ga Eul particularly cared. Well, maybe she did. A tiny bit. She was worried, and she didn't want the other two to know how afraid she was of messing up. Her family didn't plan much for her life, aside from a future marriage to some heir, and her job with Loveli was the only chance she had ever gotten to prove herself and work hard. She didn't want to mess it up by making a mistake here.

Swinging the door open, she spotted Jan Di fumbling with her keys. Questions about songs to perform died on Ga Eul's lips as soon as she saw her best friend's face. It was blotchy and red, her eyes still leaking tears, her nose raw and a little snotty.

"Jan Di?" Ga Eul rushed towards her friend, resting an arm on Jan Di's shorter shoulders and felt her quivering.

"Hey," Jan Di said, her voice hoarse. She walked into her apartment, shaking off Ga Eul's hand. Ga Eul followed her, turning on the light when Jan Di didn't make any move to.

"Have you been crying?" Ga Eul immediately regretted asking. _What a stupid question! Of course she has! _Ga Eul helplessly watched Jan Di kick her shoes off, each hitting the wall with a resounding _thunk. _

"Maybe," Jan Di mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Jan Di flopped onto the couch, her skirt riding up but not making a move to fix it. What was freaking Ga Eul out now was Jan Di's lack of energy, which only happened at extreme down points, like when her parents had stopped her from continuing swim. Ga Eul took a careful seat near her friend's feet, curling up onto the cushion as best she could. Silently, she reached over to rub Jan Di's shoulder, waiting for her friend to talk. Finally, she spoke.

"My mom called," Jan Di said listlessly. She blinked without seeing anything, her chest rising and falling slowly.

"Oh." Ga Eul's heart sank. They both knew no further explanation was needed. "Want to rant about it?"

"Not really. Thanks anyways," Jan Di said, turning onto her other side and curling up.

"It can't be _that _bad," Ga Eul said, hoping the lie didn't come through her voice. Jan Di's parents had long been nicknamed the prison guards. Ga Eul could understand their harshness only because her own parents behaved in the same way at times. "Don't think about it too long. Wondergirl has to get back to saving the world," She said, leaning over to gently pat Jan Di's shoulder. A noncommittal huff was all the response she got.

"Want me to make some tea?" A shrug. Ga Eul took that as a 'yes,' and got up, giving one last glance to the moping girl before disappearing through to the kitchen.

She wished her friend was in a better mood. Mostly because she _knew_ it sucked. A small part of her wanted to talk about school. A big part of her wanted to show Jan Di the new track she had been working on. She bit her lip as she remembered the stabbing pain of seeing her friend give less than her whole attention to Ga Eul's work. She knew Jan Di was her best friend, but it wouldn't kill her to take a second to show some appreciation. Ga Eul shook her head, picking up a large polka dot mug, hoping to cast aside any bitter thoughts. They were all each other had at the moment, and she was just being petty. She swallowed her thoughts and took the tea back to her friend.

**Message 12:13am From: Jae Kyung **

_I'VE GOT THE SONG! And a room! _

**Message 12:14am From: Ga Eul**

What song?

**Message 12:14am From: Ga Eul**

And how? It's midnight

**Message 12:15 From: Jae Kyung**

_Stayed after school and asked for rooms. Two weeks until auditions! DON'T FORGET TO MEET UP AFTER CLASSES! _

**Message 12:16 From: Ga Eul**

What song?

**Message 12:16 From: Jae Kyung**

_It's a surprise ;)_

**Message 12:17 From: Ga Eul**

Don't make me regret this.

**Message 12:17 From: Jan Di**

Stop talking in the groupchat I'm trying to sleep

**Message 12:18 From: Jae Kyung**

_Sorry! See you tomorrow. Bring snacks! XOXO_

Ga Eul liked school. Really, she did, even though she didn't always express it as clearly as that. But being late to school made her wish she could crawl back into her old bedroom in her parent's mansion and sleep for days.

She had rushed to school, hair and clothes untidy, and breathlessly stumbled into the room ten minutes late. The teacher scolded her and wrote her tardiness down with a _tsk. _She had barely been awake long enough to think clearly, but she felt an irrational anger at Jan Di for failing to check if she was up. They usually talked every morning.

Sliding in her seat, she bitterly missed living with her family. She missed her brothers. She hadn't seen them for a few months, and they never failed to bring her peace of mind. Jan Di was of no help, very busy now pretending not to like Joon Pyo. Jae Kyung was making new friends everywhere she glanced. The school's dance was coming up, and there would be no doubt that it would soon become the topic of all their conversations.

And then there were Ga Eul's classes. _Her classes! _Of all the things that she thought she would have trouble with, maintaining a passing grade in Ceramics was certainly not one. She was amazed at how difficult school could become when the private tutor was taken out of the equation. She didn't think a tutor could even help her in this pointless art class, she thought dismally. Talent with music didn't translate into talent with pottery. At. All.

She dimly was aware of the clay's uncooperative lumping under her fingers as she tried to coil it. After a few more minutes of struggling, she gave up. Wiping her hands off on her apron, she walked to one of the cabinets to examine what exactly she was trying to replicate. As if _that_ helped with anything.

"Watch out!" Ga Eul jumped at the sudden warning, and froze- but it was too late. A chord tripped her up, and she came crashing down, a piece of pottery smashing to pieces under her. She sat stunned as a few people laughed, and slowly she pushed herself back up. Her heart sank as she realized that the pain in her hands wasn't just from the impact; little bits of glass had embedded themselves in her hands. She trembled, blood against her pale skin stunning her. She was afraid to move. If anything impaired her ability to play instruments, she was a goner. Oh god, her hands, she needed them for everything. Cold shock and fear washed over her like an egg smashing on her head as she stared at the blood dripping down.

"Are you alright?" Someone asked. With horror, she realized that she was crying. She sniffed, rubbing her sleeve against her eyes quickly.

"Yes, I'm fine, I was just surprised. That's all," she said, looking up at who was talking to her. She froze; it was So Yi Jung. _Of course. _Just her luck. She _would_ be right next to his table. The universe was out to make a day packed with the worst possible combination of events.

"So Yi Jung, show her where the nurse is," the teacher ordered, not bothering to look into the injury too closely. _Great, _she thought sarcastically. She got to her feet as best she could, trying not to jump when he held onto her elbow to help her up. She followed him out the door, cringing when someone called "Don't let her trip again!"

"Sorry about that," she muttered as soon as they were in the hallway. "I'm a little clumsy."

"It's not your fault," he said. "Accidents happen. Most pottery is destined to break sometime."

She stared at her hands to avoid catching his eye, and grimaced as she realized she was dripping blood all over the floor. Her hands stung in the air. For some reason, she found herself saying, "I wasn't actually worried about the pottery. I was worried about my hands."

"Good to know you aren't worried about my broken project," he said lightly. She cringed.

"That was yours?"

"Yeah," he said, shrugging. "It's fine. It wasn't going the way I wanted it to."

"Sorry about that," she said. He grinned, and she felt something in her chest freeze up. She saw his mouth moving, but couldn't process what he was saying until he was halfway through his sentence.

"You should be more worried about your hands anyways," He insisted, frowning. "It probably hurts, doesn't it?"

"Y-yeah," she said, unwilling to announce how little pain tolerance she had.

"I hope it heals quickly. You play guitar, don't you?" he said. She stared in surprise, eyes wide.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

"Callouses," he said simply.

"Oh," she said, holding his gaze for a moment before looking down at her hands. The blood had covered most of her callouses already. When had he noticed that?

"This is the door," he said, and she stopped walking, realizing too late that he was no longer walking next to her. He stood a few meters before her, and Ga Eul flushed when she realized she hadn't been paying attention.

"Thanks," she said quickly, walking into the room as he held open the door for her.

"You kind of remind me of someone," he said, almost as an afterthought as she walked in front of him. She turned and smiled nervously.

"I haven't spoken to you before," she said quickly. _Could he possibly have recognized her?_ He just nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"I guess so. Anyways, I really hope your hands feel better," he said, turning his back and walking out of the office without another word. The woman behind the desk had spoken to her three times before she snapped out of her reverie and looked away.

"Alright! I'm calling it," Jae Kyung announced proudly, her chest heaving. She grinned as she watched the other two immediately collapse on the floor in groans.

Even though it had only been a few weeks since they'd practiced, the slack was significant. They were out of step with each other, off beat, and quickly breathless. Nothing that some hard work couldn't fix, though.

"Thank _God_," Jan Di whined, spread eagle on the cool floor. "Let's-" she huffed. "Let's get some food."

"Is that all you think about?" Ga Eul flicked Jan Di's head.

"Yeah," Jan Di said defensively, hand raised to fend off any more flicks.

"Then why didn't you bring snacks like I told you to," Jae Kyung scolded.

For now, the three had been practicing in the school's music room. Somehow Jae Kyung had manipulated the custodian into packing the chairs onto the side of the room for them—no doubt using a few of her trademark puppy looks- and the practice area was almost as large as the old one they had. If they got picked for the show, they would get a real spot near the gym or something.

"I've got a project to work on," Jae Kyung complained, standing up. "Now I'm all sweaty."

"It's not like you're trying to impress anyone," Jan Di mumbled into the floor, rolling onto her back. Jae Kyung glared.

"Maybe I _don't_ like smelling like a locker room, ever thought of that?"

"Hm… Speaking of locker rooms," Jan Di said, eyes flying open and pulling herself into a sitting position in the blink of an eye. Ga Eul instantly grew wary of the outraged glint in Jan Di's eye. "Guess what happened today!"

"I'd love to hear, but I have to meet up with some people for the project," Jae Kyung said, grabbing her backpack. "Text me later!" She called as she left, the door swinging behind her.

"I'll listen," Ga Eul said sleepily, body still wilted against the floor. Her blood was pumping faster than it had in a while and as exhilarating as it was, she didn't know if she was ready to be vertical for a few more minutes.

"So…" Jan Di began her story.

**Three Hours Earlier**

Jan Di was waiting to get into the swim locker rooms when her enemy, Gu Joon Pyo, hair once again curled in the most arrogant way, snuck up behind her and grabbed her hand and began to drag her down the hallway.

"Hey! Let me go," she shouted, digging her heels into the ground to try and stop. They skidded, and she tripped over her feet and had to hold onto the back of Joon Pyo's arm to keep herself from falling.

He stopped walking once they had reached outside. The wind had picked up from that morning, and she spat her hair out of her mouth as it flailed around her face. Jan Di wrenched herself free from his grip and leaned on the brick wall behind her in exhaustion. She shook her arm out, more to get rid of the sensation of his hand on hers than anything else.

"Gu Joon Pyo," she huffed angrily, glaring, her lip upturned in a perfect sneer. "What's wrong with you?"

He grinned at her. For a moment, he didn't say anything, and her shoulders tensed as his silence dragged on.

"Don't worry, you don't have to act. No one's around."

"Act?" She said, confused and completely _done _with his antics. Could _someone _explain why she was cursed with such a nuisance! "Why would I have to act?" He smirked and moved forward. She stood her ground.

"I _know_," he said finally, putting especially heavy emphasis on the word. Jan Di's face dropped from anger to astonishment. Her mouth fell open in horror. _He knew! _Every expletive she knew ran through her head in that moment, followed immediately by a panic. Her heart sped up as though she was about to be put on trial, and her hands fell to shakily clench around the hem of her shirt.

"I can explain-" her stuttering was cut off by his laugh.

"I should've known you would be the type of girl to hide what you were feeling. I can forgive you now for kicking me. It was just an act of love, after all," he finished, leaning on the wall next to her. "I don't blame you. It's hard for anyone not to fall in love with me."

_Wait. _What?

"Hold on," she said slowly. He stayed quiet, his smug look irritating her to insanity as she tried to process what was going on. "You know that I- that I _what, _exactly."

Judging by his words, she could've guessed, but the confirmation- "I know that you like me-" came as a wave of relief, disgust, and anger all at once.

"That I _what_!" Jan Di spluttered, crossing her arms. She drew herself up to her full height- still irritatingly short next to him, _damn_\- and stared him straight in the eye. "Have you really gone insane?"

"It's _so _obvious."

"_What's _obvious? Isn't it clear enough that I hate everything about you?"

"You can't deny it," he said, laughing. He leaned in closer to her, like he was going to tell her a secret. "I already saw your face when I told you. You're not that good of an actor."

"Trust me, I don't have to be an actor to make this expression," she said, unwavering in her position despite her discomfort at his proximity. She could smell the cologne he had used, and he didn't seem like he was about to back off.

"It's a pretty cute face for such an ugly girl, too," he said. She huffed, moving to walk around him, but he reached his arm out to stop her.

"Do you really want to die?" She snapped, loud enough that it would've drawn attention if anyone was around. "Don't touch me or I'll sue you."

"I was thinking about how sad it was that you like someone so completely out of your league," he said, unfazed by her angry red face and fierce glare coupled with threats. "And I decided, since you're so pathetic, I'll let you be my girlfriend outside of school."

Jan Di froze. The rate of her thoughts could not even begin to compete with the sudden influx of stupidity pouring in through her ears. In hindsight, she couldn't believe that she thought a boy so unobservant and idiotic would figure out her secret identity. But now it was tiring. Good looks aside, how did _anyone _in this school having Joon Pyo as 'top dog'? "Leave me alone. I'm going back to swim."

"Are you serious?" He said, face turned from smug to surprise as her opinion didn't change. "You're passing up this deal?"

"Who do you think you are? Get out of my way!" She shouted, and throwing up her arms in exasperation, she shoved him out of her way and stalked back to the locker room, leaving a very confused, very offended Gu Joon Pyo frozen to the pavement.

"I'll talk to you later," Ga Eul called to Jan Di as Jan Di left the music room after finishing her story. Jan Di was so obsessed with hating Joon Pyo it was a little funny. Ga Eul stretched her arms above her head and sat down at the piano bench, beginning a warm up sequence. She cringed a little; her hand still stung a little from that morning's injury, but it wasn't anything crippling.

Yes. This was nice.

She could get lost in a place without time playing music, which is why she had sent Jan Di ahead. She could play for hours…

And unknowingly, Ga Eul did.

Jae Kyung met up with her project partners at a coffee shop just a block away from the school. She knew exactly who they were- Jan Di's tormenters, So Yi Jung and Song Woo Bin. It was purely coincidence that they were all in the same homeroom, and that she had gotten them as partners for her literature project. When she arrived, the other two boys were already sitting at a booth with coffees. It didn't escape her notice that Woo Bin had on a large pair of sunglasses and his scarf was wrapped around his face. She knew what it felt like to have a crush, but this time around she really was astounded at her heart's fickleness. This guy was a _total_ clown.

"Hello!" She greeted, dropping her bag on the chair beside them. She ordered a coffee before sitting down. Yi Jung had his notebook out.

"Who has started reading it so far?" Yi Jung asked, looking up expectantly. Jae Kyung glanced down to his book, noticing the bookmark was already set well past the halfway point. She smiled sheepishly.

"Not yet," she said.

"I don't feel like reading it," Woo Bin said, and Jae Kyung suppressed a grin at the muffled way his voice came out through the scarf. He looked like a fluffy puff. Yes, that described it quite accurately. Yi Jung ignored him.

"If you want to start reading the book," Yi Jung continued. "I can write the analysis starting on chapter twenty to the end, you can do the first ten chapters, and Woo Bin will do the middle."

"Sounds good," Jae Kyung nodded. She glanced at Woo Bin, who hadn't taken off his sunglasses. She continued, "Are we going to make a presentation? I'm fine with doing the talking." She smiled again. Yi Jung was staring, evidently annoyed, at his friend, but nodded his head.

"I'll put together the slides," He said. They began to discuss the timeline to complete the project, and Jae Kyung relaxed as it became clear that the project was in Yi Jung's very capable hands. If it wasn't for his awful reputation, she would say he actually was a great guy. They wrapped up their plans in under an hour.

"Why are you wearing those glasses anyways," Jae Kyung said finally, taking the last sip of her coffee. Slowly, Woo Bin lowered the shades. Jae Kyung's smile froze, suddenly feeling her heart skipping in anticipation or nerves, she had no idea.

"I need to protect myself from your beautiful smile," He said, giving her a smirk while his other hand went to his chest. "It's just too bright—it hurts my heart."

Jae Kyung laughed so suddenly she would've spit all over the table if she had any more liquid in her mouth. As it was, she ended up coughing, unable to stop laughing. Yi Jung muttered something that sounded like, "That definitely sounded better in theory." Wiping away a tear of mirth, she stood up, grabbing her bag.

"Nice try," she said, grinning. "That's my cue to leave. Let's meet again," she waved, and flounced out of the coffee shop, still grinning and sure her smile wouldn't be moving any time soon.

"Hello!" Ga Eul banged on the music room door. "Hello! There's someone in here!" Ga Eul peeked into the hallway through the glass of the door, but no one was there.

Completely absorbed in the piano, she had missed the custodian doing his rounds and locking the door. After glancing at the clock and noticing that over an hour had already passed, she had slung her bag back over her shoulder and made for the door, only to find it bolted closed.

_Stay calm, _she had told herself. There _had_ to be someone else in this school! They wouldn't just leave her here overnight, right? Her banging on the door turned frantic, and she ended up kicking it in frustration.

_Damn. _The cool glass window of the door felt nice against her warm face, and she rested her forehead on it for a moment while she caught her breath.

_Phone. _Right. Jan Di could get her, no problem. Her hands fumbled in her bag for the smooth metal case of her new phone, and with a relieved laugh she pulled it out.

She grinned. Her grin slipped off her face just as quickly as it had appeared when the phone refused to wake up.

"_You're shitting me!" _The curse slipped out with a groan of frustration, and she was an instant away from throwing the offending device on the tile. She kicked the door again - _Ah, damn, that's real wood—_and then slumped to the ground, resting her head on her knees.

_Curse my love for classical piano, _she thought dismally. Her stomach growled achingly loud. Food… Food… She wished she had thought to put snacks in her bag. There was only one way out of this. Ga Eul set her jaw firmly and stood up.

_That window is the secret to my salvation, _she decided. The window in question was less than two feet wide and a foot and a half high, and it also happened to be conveniently located above the very high bookcase of terribly fragile musical instruments. No big deal.

By the time she had assembled a tall stack of furniture, she was huffing and red in the face. (Said stack of furniture would also never be able to pass any type of safety test. Even a safety test set up by birds or something.) Yeah, it was _that _risky, Ga Eul decided as she placed her first step on the metal bar of the back of one of the chairs.

One step at a time… slowly… yes, almost there- with a triumphant whoop she grabbed onto the top of the shelf and her hands found the window latch. She poked her head out, her toes scrambling to find something to secure herself, and that was when the entire precarious pile began to topple. With an impressively loud _BANG, _the assortment of chairs and music stands let gravity do its worst. Her feet dangling behind her, her arms already latching onto the freedom of the outside world, she just wanted to _die already, please end this misery. _

The absolute worst moment—the moment where she prayed _please let this just be some horrific nightmare from eating too much commoner's ramyun—_started with Ga Eul first hearing the sound of a lock opening and the door behind her swinging open. The next thing she heard was the _painfully _familiar voice "Ga Eul-ssi?"

_No, no, please no-_

"You alright there?" Ga Eul shuddered, already knowing her face was red with exertion and embarrassment. Slowly, she turned her face around to confront the boy who, out of all the people who could possibly save her from this predicament, she would rather just be stuck out a window than get help from.

"Yi Jung-Sunbae," she stammered. _Face, I would appreciate it if you could stop being so damn red. _"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing," he said. And then he did the worst thing he possibly could have done—he laughed. A miserable anger accompanied her embarrassment. "Need some help?"

"_No." _She said vehemently. She was lucky he wasn't any closer or he'd get a nice view of her underwear. "I'm just fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" She said, screwing her eyes up in anger at… who was she angry at anymore?

"In that case, I'll get going. I'm looking for Ji Hoo, you haven't seen him around have you?"

"No," She said dismally, not even sure what was going on anymore. _I'm going to kill everything, including myself._

"Really? Not even out that window? I'm sure the view's great." Ga Eul could scream. She didn't even deign to answer, and she wasn't sure her face could even get any warmer. "I'll be going then," he said, and she heard the door close. She waited only a few moments before letting out the most distraught, frustrated, and infuriated _"AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH!" _To make it worse, she was pretty sure her legs were falling asleep.

She heard the laughter before her shout could even stop reverberating around the room. The door opened again and, still laughing, she heard Yi Jung's footsteps approach her. She blinked the tears of frustration out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, still laughing. He repeated it again before coughing and sobering up. "Just let go, I'll catch you."

"Are you serious?" She squeaked. _I need my legs to dance, _she rationalized, even though it was the thought of falling into Yi Jung's strong arms that made her knees weak.

"Yeah. You're only a couple of feet up, and I swear I won't drop you."

"I-" She felt her fingers clutch tighter. "I don't know if I can."

"Yes you can."

"I-" She grit her teeth. "Ok. Ok, I'll try."

"On three," he said calmly. "One. Two-"she loosened her grip and closed her eyes tightly. _Goodbye cruel world. _"Three!"

Her feet hit his arm first and then she was falling backwards. She vaguely heard a scream and it wasn't until she had stopped falling that she realized it had been her.

She wasn't on the ground. Her legs were intact. Cautiously, she opened an eye.

Yi Jung was carrying her as if he caught girls falling out of windows all the time. He smiled at her and her eyes went wide for a second before she scrambled to stand up again. He let her, and didn't even laugh when she almost fell again.

"Th-thanks," she said, her heart in her throat.

"No problem." It was then that her stomach decided to growl—_How can I be hungry even after all of that?—_and she turned an even darker shade of red. "Do you want to get something to eat together?" He asked.

"What?" She was so shocked at his question she forgot to be embarrassed.

"I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

Ga Eul ends up sitting opposite Yi Jung at a hole-in-the-wall porridge shop that's surprisingly good. The conversation is awkward, and Ga Eul is sure that he's only listening to be polite but is surprised when he remembers to ask about her hand. Somehow they end up talking about their favorite bands, and Ga Eul is slightly relieved to hear that he prefers classical music.

"As I was saying earlier," He says finally. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"What?" Ga Eul asks, putting her napkin down.

"It's about your friend, Geum Jan Di." Ga Eul's eyes immediately narrow suspiciously, but she doesn't jump just yet.

"What about her?"

"Tell her to stay away from Joon Pyo." His polite smile is gone now, replaced by a mysterious pensive look.

"No offense, but it was your Joon Pyo who started bothering Jan Di." Ga Eul said sharply. "She's never expressed any interest in him."

"I'm not saying this because I have something against Jan Di," He said quickly. "But please don't act like you can't see where this is going."

"No, I can't. Jan Di doesn't want to be with Joon Pyo, he's been nothing but horrible to her. And- you're just as bad, by association," she muttered, her temper flaring.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "It's not like I can control what he does."

"It's not like you tried."

"I'm know what's going to happen if they end up together and I'm trying to warn you," he said, anger lacing his voice. "It will be bad for the both of them. It's in both their best interests to stay away."

"Right," Ga Eul said sarcastically. She grabbed her bag off the seat and stood up. "Well, if you hate them together so much, tell your precious Joon Pyo to stay away from my friend." Annoyed with the zipper of her bag, Ga Eul fumbled for some bills to throw on the table to pay for her food before slinging her bag over her shoulder and stomping out of the store.

The dark night welcomed her. She stared at her feet as she rushed towards the bus station, snatching her headphones out of her bag and turning her music's volume up to drown out her thoughts.

Apparently, it worked. She didn't notice anything anymore. Not even the click and flash of a camera right behind her.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!  
****I'll be back soon, I promise!  
Love you all! Please, please, please leave reviews! I love everyone who does and I read all of them over and over and over... well you get the point**

**Tell me what you thought of Ga Eul's no good dirty rotten very bad day. **

**Love, **

**Laila :)**


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